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BBC Monitoring South Asia - Political
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring

June 24, 2017 Saturday

Paper urges host countries not to deport Afghan refugees

LENGTH: 821 words

Editorial entitled "Afghanistan and problem of deporting refugees" by private Daily Afghanistan published on 21 June

Addressing an event on the occasion of the World Refugee Day, the Afghan minister of refugees and repatriation said that the situation in Afghanistan is not suitable for the return of the Afghan refugees. He said that due to worsening security and economic crisis, the Afghan refugees are reluctant to return to their country. Meanwhile, he called on the host countries to process the immigration documents of the Afghan refugees in line with the current security situation in the country and review the decision on forced deportation of the Afghan refugees.

Afghanistan is a war-torn country and has experienced continued war for the past four decades. Over one million people have been killed and over six million Afghans have immigrated to other countries.

According to the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation currently around 5.6 million Afghan refugees are living in other countries across the world and most of these refugees are living in Iran and Pakistan. Last year, Pakistan and Iran deported a number of Afghan refugees and the European countries have also decided to deport those Afghan refugees whose asylum cases have been rejected. The deportation of Afghan refugees from the European countries still continues. Moreover, following an upsurge in Taliban operations last year, thousands of families were displaced in Konduz, Sar-e Pol, Fariab, Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan, Nangarhar and Helmand.

The return of thousands of Afghan refugees from abroad as well as massive displacement of people is other factors which have put tremendous pressures on the government. While the government as well as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR] have not been able to extend the necessary support to the repatriate refugees and thousands of displaced people, how can they respond to the needs of thousands of new repatriated refugees?

Afghanistan is facing with serious security and economic problems which contributed to an increase in unemployment rate. Therefore, the return of new groups of refugees would add to the challenges facing the Afghan government. Part of these challenges includes an increase in criminal rates.

It is true that brain drain affects the economic developments in the country and it is considered a big blow to the country's economic development. However, if the government does not have the capacity to provide job opportunities for these people, it is even more dangerous to control them. Therefore, taking the current security and economic situation into account, it is not advisable for the Afghan government to receive more refugees.

The government should take a realistic approach in dealings with the refugee crisis. Emotional and patriotic stances by the government cannot address the problems of refugees. It is a reality that the government is not in the control of over 30 per cent of the country's territory. The situation is volatile in the areas controlled by the government and people continue to suffer from organized criminal activities as well as terrorist attacks, including suicide attacks and roadside explosions.

A number of the refugees who have returned to the country have lost their lives or were wounded in the terrorist attacks. The world countries to stand in solidarity with Afghanistan or they should be held responsible for forced deportation of the refugees. The world countries should take the human rights principles and the international conventions on refugees into consideration. The situation in Afghanistan should be taken into consideration while process the asylum-seeking cases for the Afghan refugees.

In fact, the European countries should pay attention to the problems and threats the Afghans go through and they should not only take their interests into consideration.

It is one of the core duties of the UNHCR to ensure safety and security of the refugees and the sufferings the Afghan refugees have gone through should be taken into consideration.

Actually, there is no justification for forced deportation of Afghan refugees. It is neither justified from the security point of view nor from the economic point of view. The repatriated refugees do not have access even to the basic life facilities. Taking the stated facts into account, it is the responsibility of the Afghan government, particularly of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, to convince those countries that have adopted a policy of deportation of the Afghan refugees to review this policy and stop forced deportation of the refugees immediately.

Of course, the role of the UNHCR is quite important and it is its responsibility to get into negotiation with the host countries and ask them to stop deportation of Afghan refugees in line with the international and human rights principles.

Source: Daily Afghanistan, Kabul, in Dari and Pashto 21 Jun 17

LOAD-DATE: June 24, 2017

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FinancialWire

February 8, 2017 Wednesday

Genocide Survivor's Refugee Fund Receives Recognition From Massachusetts Senate

LENGTH: 682 words

Genocide survivor and leading motivational speaker and award-winning author Clementine Bihiga's Clarette Refugee Fund has received recognition from Massachusetts Senate. The Fund aims to build food pantries in refugee schools around the world

Worcester, Massachusetts - February 7, 2017 - An unprecedented 21.3 people are refugees at present, and Trump's recent insensible ban on refugees of 7 countries is all aggravate the problem further. But still in the midst of this staggering global refugee crisis, here comes a ray of hope!

A brave genocide survivor-turned-motivational speaker Clementine Bihiga has received recognition for her humanitarian Clarette Refugee Fund from the Massachusetts Senate. The refugee fund is dedicated to building food pantries in refugee schools around the world.

Added to the Congratulations from the Massachusetts Senate, Bihiga's refugee fund has also earned Certificate of Excellence from Women In Action and Certificate of Special Mayoral Recognition.

"It's a great moment for all of us to receive recognition from the State Senate and other esteemed organizations like Women In Action for our Clarette Refugee Fund. In the wake of aggravated refugee crisis worldwide, it is an urgent need for all of us to actively come forward in support of the homeless who have been unmindfully forced away from their homes and our Refugee Fund is committed to standing by the refugees to ensure a better and quality living for them. Proper schooling is an extremely important part of an overall development which is badly hampered by forced homelessness. Thus, our refugee fund is aimed to support the refugee schools with the basics so that these can ensure a standard life for all their refugees," stated Clementine Bihiga.

Clementine Bihiga herself has been a refugee from Rwanda when her family was forced out of her homeland during the outbreak of the catastrophic 1994 Genocide that killed 800,000 people in just three months. A struggler and fighter since her childhood, she had stayed at several refugee camps for years and knows the pains and traumas of refugees' first-hand. She is an author of a book called "Happily Broken: Discovering Happiness Through Pain and Suffering" which tells the story of her life.

"I know what it feels to live the life of an exile and how painful it is to wake up among the dead. The period of my life as a refugee was the chief inspiration behind Refugee Fund as I attempt to make lives little better for those innocent, helpless people," continued Bihiga, who is now an award-winning author and highly regarded motivational speaker sought after by corporations, organizations and schools across the nation.

Clarette Refugee Fund is dedicated to helping out the refugee students, staff and their families by providing the essential support needed to have a proper school and education. It works to achieve this through building the food/supply pantries for one refugee school at a time. Presently, it's working for a school named "Kabiria" which Clementine herself attended as a young girl in Kenya.

The school, which enrolls refugees from Congo, Burundi and Rwanda, shows an utterly dilapidated condition and has little or no money to arrange for adequate food, clothing and educational supplies for students and teachers.

"Kabiria's pantry immediately needs all kinds of educational supplies along with food supplies, toiletries, shoes and clothing. The school has had no sponsor since 2005 and immediately needs around $ 6,000 for standard renovation. Clarette Refugee Fund is looking forward to bettering up the situation here, and your generous and active participation would be of great help," added in Bihiga.

To get involved in Bihiga's humanitarian efforts to uplift refugees, visit: www.clementinebihiga.com

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/embed/VGl3J4V1JMg

Media Contact

Company Name: Clarette Refugee Fund

Contact Person: Clementine Bihiga

Email: Info@clementinebihiga.com

Phone: 774-203-9916

City: Pawtucket

State: RI

Country: United States

Website: http://www.clementinebihiga.com

(Distributed by M2 Communications (www.m2.com))

LOAD-DATE: February 8, 2017

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PR Newswire Europe

June 27, 2017 Tuesday 10:51 AM EST

Global Initiative Brings Canada's Refugee Sponsorship Model to the World

LENGTH: 666 words

DATELINE: NEW YORK, June 27, 2017

The Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative announced the launch of a global consultation process for a guidebook that will help governments and citizens develop community-based sponsorship programs to resettle refugees.

Photo -https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/528299/Global_Refugee_Sponsorship_Students.jpg

The global refugee crisis is one of the world's most pressing problems. The number of refugees today is higher than at any time since the Second World War. The scale and urgency of the situation requires innovative solutions.

The Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative (GRSI), an international multi-stakeholder initiative building global capacity and support for community-based refugee resettlement, was launched in 2016. Led by the Government of Canada, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the University of Ottawa, the Radcliffe Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations, it is inspired by Canada's private sponsorship program-through which individual citizens have offered protection and support to nearly 300,000 refugees since 1979. GRSI works to raise awareness of this model and help other countries develop their own sponsorship programs.

Earlier this month, GSRI participated in UNHCR's Annual Tri-Partite Consultations on Resettlement in Geneva, where the initiative engaged with representatives of countries from around the world. The outreach in Geneva followed a successful meeting of over 30 European stakeholders in Brussels in April, and a three day visit to Ottawa by representatives from Chile, Brazil, and Argentina in May.

During the Geneva events, GRSI launched its website,http://www.refugeesponsorship.org, and began a global consultation process to develop a guidebook aimed at supporting states and civil society organizations interested in piloting community-based sponsorship programs in their countries and communities. The guidebook will be released to the public in September 2017.

The United Nations Refugee Agency estimates that there are over 1.2 million refugees in critical need of resettlement. GRSI seeks to increase and improve refugee resettlement around the world; strengthen host communities; and advance public discourse around refugees and other new arrivals by empowering local actors. By promoting this innovative and effective approach to resettlement, the initiative aims to empower countries and communities to become directly involved in finding solutions for today's 22.5 million refugees.

About the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative

The Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative was announced in September 2016 following the UN Summit for Refugee and Migrants 2016 and officially launched in December 2016 in Ottawa, Canada. The initiative is a partnership of the Government of Canada, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the University of Ottawa, the Radcliffe Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations. For media inquiries, please contactinfo@refugeesponsorship.org

For more information:

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
http://www.cic.gc.ca/
facebook.com/CitCanada
twitter.com/CitImmCanada
instagram.com/CitImmCanada

Open Society Foundations
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/
facebook.com/OpenSocietyFoundations
twitter.com/opensociety
instagram.com/opensocietyfoundations

Radcliffe Foundation
http://radcliffefoundation.org/
facebook.com/RadcliffeFoundation
twitter.com/radcliffefdn
instagram.com/radcliffefdn

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
http://www.unhcr.org/
facebook.com/UNHCR
twitter.com/Refugees

University of Ottawa
http://www.uottawa.ca/
facebook.com/uottawarefugeehub
twitter.com/RefugeeHub

Additional information:

Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative promotes Canada's private refugee sponsorship modelMedia Advisory - Canada to Host High-Level Meeting of Global Refugee Sponsorship InitiativeNews Release - Canada, UNHCR & the Open Society Foundations Seek to Increase Refugee Resettlement through Private SponsorshipBackgrounder: Canada's Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program

LOAD-DATE: June 28, 2017

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The Independent (United Kingdom)

January 26, 2017 Thursday 12:16 PM GMT

World will suffer 'vacuum of leadership' if Trump refugee ban goes ahead, charities warn;
Advocates say the expected announcement suspendingall refugee arrivals will have a 'global knock-on effect'

BYLINE: Will Worley

SECTION: AMERICAS

LENGTH: 814 words

Charities have warned of a global "knock-on effect" if Donald Trump goes ahead with a temporary ban on refugees entering the US, as the withdrawal of American leadership on refugee action createsa "vacuum of leadership".

The Presidentis expected to announce a 120-day banby way of an executive order later on Thursdayin a move that hasprompted"extreme alarm" among refugee advocates, who areaskinghim to reconsider.

Mr Trump is also expected to ban immigration and the issuing ofvisasforpeople from seven Muslim-majority Middle Eastern and African countries.

The Jewish synagogue seeking to house Muslim refugees on its premises

The USresettles more refugees than any other country, according to the NGOs, taking in two thirds of resettlements in the world in 2015.

Humanitarians have expressed fears that a sudden lack of US leadership could have disastrous impacts on the protection ofrefugees.

"President Trump's plans to pull up the drawbridge and leave refugees trapped in danger are extremely alarming," the British Refugee Council's Anna Musgrave told

The Independent

"We can't let our humanity be undermined by fear. We all know that refugees who arrive in the US through resettlement schemes are among the most rigorously vetted people in the country.

"What's even more disturbing is the fact that the US currently resettles more refugees than any other country in the world and has led the way in coordinating a global effort to ensure more refugees are able to find safety."

The Council voiced concerns about the world-wide "knock on effect" Mr Trump's actions would have and particularly the example it would set.

Refugee crisis: More than 500 migrants rescued in single day in Mediterranean Sea

Ms Musgrave said: "Global leaders must lead by example by offering safe haven, rather than turning their backs on refugees and leaving the job to others.

"With this new vacuum in leadership it's vital that other countries, including Britain, step forward and ensure that men women and children who are running for their lives are offered safe haven."

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is the main organisation working to resettle refugees within the US.

David Miliband, President of the IRC and former UK Foreign Secretary, said: "The IRCis very concerned by the reports of new restrictions on refugee resettlement into the USand calls on the administration to take its time and think again.

"Refugee resettlement is an American success story. For decades people have looked to the USas a beacon of political as well as religious freedom. The IRC is proud to have resettled 400,000 refugees into the USsince World War II."

Citingrecord-breaking levels of refugee flow around the world, Mr Miliband said now was "not the time" for America to renounce its historic leadership role.

"Our clear message to the new administration is: now is no time for hasty action," he added. "Talk to us and the experts in your own government to develop a policy that builds on America's success rather than undermines it."

Another organisation, Help Refugees, warned of the "devastating" impact if the US becomes closed off to refugees.

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A statement released by the charity said: "Refugees are, by definition, people seeking sanctuary from some of the most horrific circumstances and it is the duty of compassionate and progressive nations to accept their fair share. Banning refugees on the basis of their religious beliefs is abhorrent.

"Halting resettlement of refugees will not, contrary to Trump's assertions, make America safer. On the contrary it will force people into the hands of traffickers and make the vigorous systems currently in place to vet refugees entering the US completely defunct."

Among many others, Mr Trump's executive order threatens a refugee resettlement deal with Australia signed late last year, and could leave more than 1,000 asylum seekers in limbo.

"We already didn't have much hope the US would accept us," Behrouz Boochani, an Iranian refugee who has spent more than three years on Manus island, told

Reuters

. "If they do not take us, Australia will have to."

The US agreed to resettle an unspecified number of refugees being held in Papua New Guinea and the tiny South Pacific island nation of Nauru on Australia's behalf, under a deal to be administered by the UN refugee agency.

"Any substantial delay in the relocation of refugees...would be highly concerning from a humanitarian perspective," said Catherine Stubberfield, a spokeswoman of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

"These men, women and children can no longer afford to wait."

LOAD-DATE: January 26, 2017

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper; Web Publication

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The Guardian

January 30, 2017 Monday 7:59 PM GMT

US travel ban puts 20,000 refugees in 'precarious circumstances', UN says;
UN refers 'the most vulnerable' to governments for resettlement, refugee chief said, adding that more than 800 people had been set to arrive in US this week

BYLINE: Kareem Shaheen in Istanbul

SECTION: US NEWS

LENGTH: 601 words

The United Nations refugee chief has expressed alarm at the scale of Donald Trump's order barring the arrival of refugees, saying it placed 20,000 people who were expecting resettlement in the US in "precarious circumstances".

"Refugees... are fleeing war, persecution, oppression and terrorism," said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. "The individuals and families UNHCR refers to governments for resettlement are the most vulnerable - such as people needing urgent medical assistance, survivors of torture, and women and girls at risk. The new homes provided by resettlement countries are lifesaving for people who have no other options."

Late on Friday, the Trump administration issued a temporary ban on the entry of Syrian, Sudanese, Somalian, Iraqi, Yemeni, Iranian and Libyan nationals to the United States in an executive order that he said was prompted by security concerns.

Related: 'Totally wrong': Houston's Iraqis and Syrians react to Trump's travel ban

The move also suspended arrivals by all refugees for 120 days and stopped the resettlement of Syrian refugees indefinitely, even though those who were expected to arrive in the US had already undergone an arduous vetting process that could take up to two years.

"This week alone, over 800 refugees were set to make America their new home, but instead find themselves barred from travelling to the US," Grandi said. "UNHCR estimates that 20,000 refugees in precarious circumstances might have been resettled to the United States during the 120 days covered by the suspension announced Friday, based on average monthly figures for the last 15 years. Refugees are anxious, confused and heartbroken at this suspension in what is already a lengthy process."

Refugee agencies have expressed alarm at the move in recent days, saying it violated international norms and refugee conventions. The US has taken in far fewer Syrian refugees in particular than countries neighboring war-torn Syria, and even European nations like Germany and Sweden.

The US has resettled 18,000 Syrian refugees. Turkey has taken in approximately three million Syrian refugees and Lebanon, which had a pre-war population of four million people, has received 1.5 million Syrians who fled the fighting in their home country.

The number of refugees in Lebanon per capita would be equivalent to the US taking in roughly 63 million refugees.

"The decision to halt resettlement would not only be detrimental to the safety and livelihoods of Syrians currently waiting to be resettled, but also harmful to Syrian refugees who have already been resettled in the US. Such a policy is antithetical to American values and humanitarian principles, and we urge the president to reconsider," the Chicago-based Syrian Community Network, which supports resettled refugees, said in a statement.

"This act would bar Syrian refugees, and refugees from other nationalities, from taking refuge in the land that was built on the premise of being open to people who are fleeing persecution and violence," the statement added.

Carolyn Miles, the head of Save the Children, said that women and children under 12 make up two-thirds of Syrian refugees in the US.

"Now is not the time to turn our back on these families, or our core American values, by banning refugees," she said. "We can protect our citizens without putting even more barriers in front of those who have lost everything and want to build a better future in America."

"The reality is that the US refugee resettlement program saves lives... while helping to ensure the safety of our country," she said.

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Express Online

February 6, 2017 Monday 5:19 PM GMT

ISIS recruiting refugees by offering '$1000 and safe passage to Europe'

BYLINE: Ross Logan

LENGTH: 716 words

ISLAMIC State is recruiting refugees by offering vulnerable people hundreds of pounds and a safe passage to Europe if they join the terrorist group, a British think-tank has said.

GETTY/EXPRESS

ISIS are ecruiting desperate migrants y iffering the cash and free travel to Europe

A study by counter-extremism group Quilliam revealed ISIS is exploiting desperate and underage asylum seekers attempting to make the journey across the Mediterranean with the promise of cash and free travel.

The report also says extremists have infiltrated refugee centres and mosques in Germany in a bid to radicalise disillusioned new arrivals already suffering from "a lack of belief in the host country".

The fact that ISIS is even suspected of recruiting refugees on their way to Europe ultimately becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, Quilliam said, as it increases the burgeoning anti-immigrant sentiment within Europe and reinforces the narrative Daesh uses to recruit refugees.

By analysing refugee policies and mapping the journeys taken by refugees towards Europe, Quilliam has produced the first report pinpointing the moments where young refugees are most vulnerable to recruitment by extremists.

Related articles Migrants in Greece go on hunger strike in protest at camp conditions Scuffles break out as refugees block minister from visiting camp

The report said: "While some refugees may have to pay smugglers up to $560 for passage towards the Mediterranean coast, IS, capitalising on this route, offer free passage to those willing to join IS.

"IS is able to provide a degree of security. The financial lure is ever-present on the refugee journey - to those reaching the Mediterranean coast, IS offer potential recruits up to $1,000 to join the organisation.

"IS is clearly aware of the value of these refugee routes for the purposes of recruitment and for exporting their operatives into Europe.

"Aside from potentially facilitating access to Europe for IS fighters, the suspicion created by the mere possibility of this is likely to increase xenophobic and anti-refugee sentiment in Europe, reinforcing the narratives that IS uses to recruit both refugees from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and from Muslim communities in Europe and the West."

GETTY

Quilliam said young unaccompanied refugees were vulnerable to extremist recruiters

Smugglers and people traffickers were also a threat, the report said, with more than 90 per cent of refugees arriving in the EU using some form of "illegal enterprise" en-route.

This, Quilliam claimed, was "a direct consequence of the fortification of European borders and the small numbers of refugees resettled in the EU directly from refugee camps."

Unaccompanied minors were particularly at risk of recruitment by extremists, as well as sexual exploitation.

The report said so far 10,000 unaccompanied refugee children had disappeared since arriving in Europe, "many of whom are thought to have fallen into the hands of the very same criminal organisations that brought them into the continent".

Quilliam also criticised the treatment of young refugees arriving in the UK.

GETTY

ISIS has infiltrated refugee camps and mosques in Germany to recruit new members

It urged the Government to "treat children as children first" and not as asylum seekers.

"By treating children as asylum seekers, the UK is not fulfilling its obligation to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the country," the group concluded.

Mark Brennan, UNESCO Chair in Community, Leadership, and Youth Development said: "Quilliam makes a remarkable contribution to our understanding and efforts to take positive action.

"This report documents in great detail the complexity of the problem, the scope of the youth refugee crisis, and provides a rigorous analysis of the settings, and potential processes, where refugee youth may be drawn into extremist activities.

"This document serves as a critical resource for those seeking to understand the refugee crisis, and a vital reference for policy makers who must create balanced, effective, and evidence informed policies."

Related articles Doctors Without Borders blast 'delusional' EU's Libyan migrant deal Hundreds of ISIS jihadi suspects arrested during RADICAL crackdown ISIS terrorists kill children in the Iraqi villages laced with mines

LOAD-DATE: February 6, 2017

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper; Web Publication

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FinancialWire

June 23, 2017 Friday

Foreign Minister Gabriel on the UN Solidarity Summit on Refugees in Uganda

LENGTH: 850 words

BERLIN, Germany -- Foreign Minister Gabriel issued the following statement in Berlin today (22 June) on the occasion of the Uganda Solidarity Summit on Refugees, which is taking place in Kampala today and tomorrow:

"The civil war in South Sudan has forced a large part of the population to flee their homes. Around 1.9 million South Sudanese people have fled to the neighbouring countries of Uganda, the Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Congo and the Central African Republic. Over one million people have sought protection and aid in Uganda.

This makes Uganda the biggest refugee-hosting country in Africa. Uganda is a country whose population already faces great humanitarian, economic and social challenges. It is continuing to take in refugees from neighbouring countries nevertheless. They are being cared for and even integrated in Uganda with the support of international aid organisations. This model refugee policy needs our support. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the Ugandan Government have therefore issued an invitation to a Solidarity Summit in Kampala. The objective is to obtain further urgently needed support from the international community.

The situation of the refugees in Uganda is closely bound up with the development of the humanitarian emergency in South Sudan. We are viewing this with great concern and have increased the Federal Government's humanitarian assistance for South Sudan to around 90 million euros in 2017. We are using this money to support the people suffering in South Sudan and in the affected neighbouring countries, especially Uganda.

Germany will therefore support Uganda's refugee policy with around 50 million euros, of which 14 million euros have been earmarked for humanitarian assistance and 36 million euros for development cooperation.

In view of the suffering of countless people in South Sudan and the burden that the neighbouring countries are bearing, I urgently call on the Government of South Sudan and all adversaries in the region to end their violent clashes and the serious human rights violations against the civilian population without delay. I also call on the governments in the region to support political processes seeking to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict in South Sudan."

Background information:

Uganda is the biggest refugee-hosting country in Africa having now taken in 1,270,000 refugees. Statistics published on the refugee situation around the world (Global Trends 2016), published by UNHCR on 19 June 2017, have found that Uganda is the fourth-largest refugee-hosting country in the world. It has taken in some 1,025,000 refugees from South Sudan since 2013, with the majority of that number arriving after July 2016. Aside from refugees from South Sudan, Uganda is hosting almost 320,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Somalia and other countries.

Uganda's refugee policy has a strong focus on development and is held up around the world as a model for the integration of refugees into host communities. Refugees in Uganda enjoy freedom of movement and are given land, seed and tools to help them fend for themselves. Thanks to its exemplary policy, Uganda is among the first countries to implement the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) adopted in 2016 as part of the New York Declaration. Alongside guaranteeing the rights of refugees and ensuring that they receive the humanitarian aid they need, the CRRF sets out approaches to resolving refugee situations in the long term.

Against the backdrop of the dramatic increase in the number of refugees as well as reception capacities that have been exhausted and a general reduction in the availability of land, Uganda's refugee policy is reaching its limits. The drought in many parts of East Africa is sparking further migration to Uganda - including from Kenya.

The Federal Government is supporting the CRRF's comprehensive approach in Uganda with development policy measures and humanitarian assistance. Our policy is helping to ensure that the causes of displacement are tackled and that the absorption capacity of countries and regions taking in refugees is strengthened.

Over the past five years, the Federal Government has increased its budget for humanitarian assistance abroad to ten times the former amount. This makes Germany the world's second-largest bilateral donor of humanitarian aid today. The Federal Foreign Office supported humanitarian aid projects in Africa to the tune of around 1.3 billion euros in 2016. Of these funds, some 307 million euros went to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) - more than ever before.

The Federal Foreign Office's contribution to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to support South Sudanese refugees and internally displaced persons in South Sudan has been increased from an initial sum of five million to approximately 31 million euros.

Distributed by APO on behalf of Germany - Federal Foreign Office.

(Distributed by M2 Communications (www.m2.com))

LOAD-DATE: June 23, 2017

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newswire

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Press Association Mediapoint

April 25, 2017 Tuesday 12:01 AM BST

Advisory: First issued under embargo

SECTION: HOME NEWS

LENGTH: 548 words

'TWO-TIER SYSTEM' LEAVING MANY REFUGEES DESTITUTE, POLITICIANS WARN

By David Hughes, Press Association Chief Political Correspondent

Thousands of refugees in the UK run the risk of homelessness and destitution due to a lack of support from the Government, a cross-party report has found.

People granted refugee status after going through the asylum process receive less support than refugees brought to the UK through Government-led resettlement schemes, the inquiry found.

The all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on refugees called for the next government to improve levels of support available for all people who have fled to the UK.

The report found that more than 50,000 refugees have arrived through the asylum route since 2012, while resettlement programmes accounted for fewer than 10,000 people in the same period.

The panel of MPs and peers said a ``two-tier system has developed for refugees'', and criticised a 28-day cut-off period after which support is withdrawn for asylum seekers once their status is confirmed.

The report said: ``Throughout our inquiry we were told by refugees and organisations that support them that the 28-day period - known as the 'move on' period - is too short.

``Coupled with the the lack of support for refugees to navigate the social security system and private housing market, the brevity of the move on period leaves too many newly-recognised refugees homeless and destitute.''

The panel also criticised ``drastic'' cuts in funding for English language courses and said there was a ``regrettable'' lack of a strategy to integrate refugees in the UK.

The report recommends the incoming government appoints a new cross-department minister for refugees to oversee a new strategy.

The APPG's chairwoman, Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire, said: ``A refugee is a refugee however they were granted status. Most will want to return home when conflict is over and in the meantime want to contribute to this country.

``These are often skilled professionals and, by definition, they all have strength and determination to offer.

``But there are administrative flaws in the system which could be easily fixed. Creating a two-tier system for refugees, loading the dice against people who come here to build a new life, is not just the wrong thing to do, but a costly missed opportunity for Britain.

``The UK can learn from the positive examples of the resettlement programme and the Scottish integration scheme to enable refugees to contribute and feel welcomed. Refugees bring so many talents and skills - they just need the opportunities to unlock their potential.''

Tory MP David Burrowes, the APPG's vice-chairman, said: ``For too many refugees, being granted their status is the beginning of a period characterised by homelessness and destitution. Protection must mean more than just a piece of paper.''

Stephen Hale, chief executive of charity Refugee Action, said: ``This report is a timely wake-up call. The new government must seize the opportunity to enable all refugees in Britain, regardless of how they arrive, to successfully rebuild their lives.

``English language classes are critical to this. All parties should commit to increase funding for this in the next parliament, so that refugees' skills and experiences can enrich our culture and benefit our economy.''

LOAD-DATE: April 25, 2017

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

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i-Independent Print Ltd

March 28, 2017
First Edition

It doesn't have to be like this...;
Our system for helping refugees is broken, and even those who survive are condemned to lives of misery. But the world can help if we take these bold steps, argue experts Alexander Betts and Paul Collier

BYLINE: Alexander Betts and Paul Collier

SECTION: FEATURES; Pg. 30

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And still they die in their hundreds. Another boat-load of refugees and migrants, 250 or more of them hoping to make it from Africa to Europe, are thought to have drowned in the Mediterranean last week after two partially submerged dinghies were found.

A combination of state fragility - in countries such as Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan - and increased opportunities for mobility has intensified refugee movements and made for one of the big policy challenges of the 21st century - not to mention a deadly risk for the people involved.

More humans are displaced from their homelands around the world than at any time since the Second World War - and with the spectre of climate change, the numbers will grow.

Yet while the needs increase, the political commitment to assisting refugees is in freefall amid rising populist nationalism. The European refugee crisis offered a test case to see whether our policies have been up to the task. And they demonstrably failed.

Declaring "Wir schaffen das" - or, we'll manage it - the German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened her country's doors. But just six months later, recognising her approach was unsustainable, she performed a U-turn by conspiring with the European Union and Turkey to close the Balkans and the Aegean Sea routes to Syrians.

The legacy of Europe's muddled response has been far-reaching. Nine thousand people have drowned crossing the Mediterranean while nationalism has been emboldened.

It does not need to be this way. With better political leadership, we could reform our refugee policies in ways that meet the challenge sustainably at the scale required. Here are 10 steps that we urgently need to take.

1) FOCUS ON DEVELOPING COUNTRIES The real challenge is not in Europe. Only 10 per cent of refugees are in developed countries, and the focus on Europe has led us to neglect a parallel crisis: the dire situation of the 90 per cent of the world's refugees in developing regions. More than 60 per cent of refugees are in just 10 safe-haven countries: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Iran, Pakistan, Tanzania and Chad. This is where we find the most vulnerable people. And yet for every £1 of public money spent by donor states on an asylumseeker who reaches Europe, we spend less than 1p on a refugee in a neighbouring host country.

This neglect has led to declining conditions that are bad for refugees, create insecurity and contribute to onward movement. We need a massive increase in our development assistance contributions to those countries to make refuge sustainable.

2) CLARIFY THE PURPOSE OF REFUGE In Europe and the US, refuge has become unnecessarily bound up with politically toxic debates relating to "migration" and "globalisation".

Properly understood, though, refuge is about something quite different: offering safe haven to people fleeing danger, and restoring their lives to normality as quickly as possible.

Refuge should mean providing three things: rescue and meet-ing immediate needs; autonomy by empowering people to help themselves through jobs and education; and an eventual route out of limbo by ensuring people can go home, or receive resettlement elsewhere if it becomes clear that going home is not likely to be an option in the foreseeable future.

For most people, these purposes can be fulfilled close to home and should not require long and dangerous journeys. And the majority do not want to be migrants; when the UN Refugee Agency surveyed Syrian refugees about resettlement in Canada, more than 70 per cent said they preferred to stay closer to home.

3) MOVE BEYOND REFUGEE CAMPS The humanitarian system's default response remains camps. These offer life-saving basics such as food, clothing and shelter. But they are often dehumanising, usually denying the right to work and freedom of movement. People get stuck in them for decades.

A response designed just for the emergency phase can endure. Kenya's Dadaab camps, for example, opened in 1992 and host 350,000 Somalis - a significant proportion of whom have been there ever since the camps were created.

Unsurprisingly, a majority of refugees bypass camps entirely. And they are left with two equally problematic alternatives: to go to cities, where they give up assistance and often face destitution; or to embark on perilous journeys with people smugglers.

4) ALLOW REFUGEES TO WORK Refugees have skills, talents and aspirations. And yet, around the world, they face severe restrictions on the right to work. This undermines autonomy and dignity, and erodes people's ability to help themselves and contribute to their host societies.

The evidence shows that when refugees are given access to labour markets, it leads to "winwin" outcomes for both them and their hosts.

Uganda, now host to around 1 million refugees, lets them work and register businesses. A recent study by Oxford University showed that 21 per cent of refugees in Uganda's capital, Kampala, run a business that employs at least one other person - and, of those they employ, 40 per cent are host country citizens.

Many developing countries are unwilling to let refugees work because they fear displacing citizens from jobs. So development assistance and business investment are needed to create incentives for host countries to open their labour markets. The UK Government is supporting pilot projects to do just that in special development areas in Jordan and Ethiopia.

5) ENSURE ROUTES OUT OF LIMBO People should not spend their lives as refugees. Ideally, they will be able to go home. But sometimes this is not possible within a reasonable timeframe. Three years of uncertainty may be reasonable; a decade is not.

Once people have been in a safehaven country beyond a certain "cut-off" time, they should be permanently integrated somewhere - whether in that country or another one.

Resettlement - moving people from camps to a neighbouring country - is currently available to less than 2 per cent of refugees, and it is not used strategically.

Countries need to work together to ensure that resettlement or alternative legal migration options are available - above all to those refugees whose lives have been put on hold indefinitely.

6) INCUBATE POST-CONFLICT RECOVERY How we treat refugees while they are in exile will shape what they do when they go home. If we can give them access to jobs and education in safe-haven countries, they will be better placed to return home and contribute to reconstruction once the conflict ends.

For example, companies such as Caterpillar, Benetton and Sony were forced to withdraw from Syria - but why shouldn't they continue to employ Syrians on the other side of the Jordanian border and then relocate back when the war ends? Similarly, if we enable refugees to work while they are in exile, they may build businesses they can take back to their country of origin later on.

7) SEND PEOPLE BACK HUMANELY Our refugee policies can only be effective against the backdrop of an effective immigration system.

There is no universal right to migrate. But refugees have a right to migrate insofar as it is necessary in order to reach safety. Ideally, this will happen close to home, but occasionally it may not. In these rare instances, we have to offer asylum as a last resort.

To sustain public confidence, our immigration system has to welcome those who are refugees but, for whatever reason, have not found safe haven nearer to home. But it must also devise ways to provide humane returns for those who either are not refugees or have already found adequate protection elsewhere.

Our current return-and-reintegrate policies are not always humane or effective, and too often we seek migration partnerships with governments that are not capable of ensuring the human rights of refugees or migrants.

8) DON'T RELY ON THE UN REFUGEE CONVENTION 1951 We have an international treaty that defines refugees and sets out their rights. But it was created for a different era - post-Second World War Europe - and it is now of declining relevance.

More than half the world's refugees are in countries that are not full signatories. Elsewhere, including in Europe, there is systemic non-compliance with the treaty.

Furthermore, even when it is applied, its interpretation throws up inconsistent outcomes: if you are an Eritrean, you have a 24 per cent chance of being recognised as a refugee in France - and a 100 per cent chance in Sweden.

This inconsistency stems from the fact that refugee definition no longer being appropriate. It shoehorns today's drivers of displacement into the old definition of a refugee as fleeing "persecution" - when, in reality, most people today flee state fragility and armed conflict.

9) REFORM THE UN REFUGEE AGENCY The world needs a United Nations refugee agency to facilitate collective action by governments. But the current models of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) need to be updated.

In many contexts, the organisation is absent. In Turkey, for example, the largest refugee-hosting country in the world, fewer than 10 per cent of Syrian refugees get any assistance from the UNHCR or its operational partners.

The agency is very good at running refugee camps and providing legal advice to states. But these are no longer the key skills needed to ensure refugee protection. The skills needed today are economic and political analysis - and yet the UNHCR has limited professional competence in these areas.

Few UN organisations can change from within - there are too many vested interests - and so the push for reform needs to come from donor governments.

10) ADDRESS ROOT CAUSES The main cause of displacement today is state fragility. More than 50 per cent of refugees come from just three such countries.

However, the international community has a poor track record in rebuilding fragile states.

Many such governments have been through successive periods of internal armed conflict, leading to the repeated waves of internal and cross-border displacement.

Emerging drivers of displacement, such as climate change, will disproportionately exacerbate refugee movements insofar as they affect already fragile states.

If the world is serious about ending displacement, it will need to find better ways to bring peace and stability to situations such as the Syrian conflict.

Alexander Betts is professor of forced migration and international affairs, and Paul Collier is professor of economics and public policy - both at the University of Oxford. They will be giving a How To: Academy talk at the Emmanuel Centre in central London on Thursday to mark the release of their book 'Refuge: Transforming a Broken Refugee System' (Allen Lane, £20)

Refuge has become bound up with toxic debates on 'migration'

When refugees get access to labour markets, it is a 'win-win' for both them and their hosts

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The Guardian(London)

June 22, 2017 Thursday 7:00 PM GMT

Australia's refugee capital 'shows what the country can do';
Fairfield in Sydney's west has resettled roughly half of all humanitarian migrants to arrive in the past 10 years. 'We'll always open our arms,' its mayor says

BYLINE: Ben Doherty

SECTION: AUSTRALIA NEWS; Version:1

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The success of the city that has accepted more refugees than any other in Australia shows the country can, and should, resettle more refugees, the New South Wales resettlement tsar Dr Peter Shergold has said.

Fairfield city council, in Sydney's west, has resettled roughly half of all humanitarian migrants to Australia over more than a decade.

In the past 18 months it has seen a 500% increase in the resettlement rate, accepting more than 7,000 humanitarian migrants, including the vast majority of those brought to Australia from Iraq and Syria under the federal government's additional settlement program.

Related: Football club that 'saved' disconnected refugees needs fundraising win

Speaking at the launch of the Fairfield city settlement action plan, Shergold, the NSW coordinator general for refugee resettlement, said the city had offered not only "sanctuary ... but opportunity".

"I'm proud of the fact we are a nation that's taken in more than 500,000 refugees, wave after wave, since the second world war.

"We've made a success of it, and we can make a success of it again ... we can show this is eminently doable. This is not hard, Australia can do this and by doing it, gain benefit. That establishes not just pride, but a strong foundation to say, 'We can take more refugees.'"

But Shergold, formerly the head of Australia's public service, said Australian governments, councils and communities needed to recognise that the refugee resettlement task began, rather than ended, with refugees arriving in Australia.

"Our responsibility does not stop at the moment we say, 'Welcome to Australia, you're here'- that's just the start. The challenge we face is how we help refugees to help themselves, because that's what they want.

"What do you want if you're a refugee? You want to be self-reliant. And our job is to help make that possible and, in doing so, to help refugees, as they have done, generation after generation, give back to our nation.

"Once we've accepted them, we've got to do our utmost to help them, to help them integrate into our multicultural society, to help get their children through our education system, and to help their adults find an Australian job."

Shergold said NSW would continue to take "more than our fair share" of refugees, likely to be between 10,000 and 11,000 this year, and between 6,000 and 8,000 in 2018.

"These are not huge amounts, this is entirely manageable with the kind of planning being done here in Fairfield," Shergold said.

Fairfield's mayor, Frank Carbone, said the city would continue to welcome more refugees: "Our community has told us they are willing to open their arms, open their hearts and open their homes.

"Because we've walked the road before, we understand the challenges refugees face, but we understand the benefits too."

More needs to be provided to make sure that resettlement is done well

Frank Carbone

But Carbone vociferously repeated his call that the city needed greater support from governments, state and federal, to assist in resettling humanitarian migrants. He said Fairfield had an unemployment rate nearly twice the national average - at 9% - and needed further health, education and employment infrastructure.

He said 7,000 people - equivalent to a new suburb - had been transplanted to his city in a year and a half, without sufficient support.

"We're very disappointed with the government's budget ... my community says to me, 'We don't mind refugees coming to our city, we'll always open our arms and we'll take as many as are available but we are disappointed that the government is not providing the infrastructure, we need to make sure our whole community is not impacted.'

"More needs to be provided to make sure that resettlement is done well."

Fairfield city's settlement action plan outlines eight key actions to assist refugees building a new life, centred on health, housing, education and employment.

In September 2015, the then prime minister, Tony Abbott, announced Australia would resettle 12,000 refugees displaced by conflict in Iraq and Syria in an intake additional to Australia's annual humanitarian quota (now 13,750 visas a year but set to rise to 18,750 by 2018-19).

That additional quota has been filled, with the majority of refugees settling in NSW, and the majority of those in Fairfield.

After a slow beginning - during which Australia's program was outstripped by similar additional intakes by the US and Canada - the resettlement program has been largely lauded as a success.

But there are lingering concerns about an apparent preference for Christian refugees. Christians do face persecution in Iraq and Syria - large numbers of Christians have fled both countries - but Muslims, particularly ethnic or sectarian minorities, also face severe persecution and are a much larger population.

Statistics released under freedom of information show that 78% of those resettled from Syria and Iraq between July 2015 and January 2017 identified as Christian.

Christians are less than 0.1% of the Iraqi population and 10% of the Syrian. And Australia's intake is disproportionate too, to the presence of Christians among the region's displaced. The United Nations high commissioner for refugees estimates the number of Christian refugees from Iraq at 15%, from Syria it is less than 1%.

Fairfield's settlement plan was unveiled during Refugee Week, as the UN's refugee agency released its 2016 Global Trends Report showing that 65.6 million people were displaced worldwide at the end of last year, the highest number in history.

Every minute in 2016 20 people were forced from their homes, the UNHCR said.

Related: The young refugees making beautiful murals together

Fifty-one per cent of the world's refugees are children, and 84% of refugees - those forcibly displaced over a national border - are hosted by developing countries, usually close to the one they've been forced to leave.

More than half of the world's refugees came from just three countries: Syria (5.5 million), Afghanistan (2.5 million) and South Sudan (1.4 million).

Australia's immigration department secretary, Mike Pezzullo, said this week more countries needed to contribute to third-country resettlement of refugees.

He said there were fewer than 100,000 places available in the US, Canada and Australia combined, while there were 1 million "resettlement-ready" refugees around the world. Fewer than 1% of refugees are resettled in a third country in any year.

"Globally, something has to happen," Pezzullo said, "the rest of the world needs to step up on the permanent [refugee resettlement] side."

It is countries nearby to conflict and persecution - often themselves facing development challenges, conflict and ill-equipped to host additional populations -that house by far the largest number of refugees.

Turkey now accommodates 2.9 million refugees, Pakistan 1.4 million, and Lebanon 1 million.

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BBC Monitoring South Asia - Political
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring

January 30, 2017 Monday

World should aide Afghan government resettle refugees, IDPs, paper

LENGTH: 574 words

Text of report by privately-owned Afghan daily newspaper Mandegar

[World should aide Afghan government resettle refugees, IDPs, paper]

Refugees: a new crisis facing the country

International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked the international community to assist the government of Afghanistan in the current difficult situation in helping the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the refugees that have returned to Afghanistan.

Large numbers of Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan returned to Afghanistan under the national unity government. This situation has clearly created challenges for the government. The challenge has come at a time when the government lacks a strategy guiding service delivery and resettlement of the refugees.

The arrival of large numbers of refugees is an addition to the myriad challenges that already exist.

A number of groups within the government are thinking about using the refugees as a vehicle to accumulate wealth by stealing the aid money for the refugees, something that has been experienced multiple times in the past 15 years. Corruption has resulted in the squandering of all resources and revenues without anyone being held accountable during this period.

The other side of the refugee problem especially the refugees returning from Pakistan is that these refugees are treated politically. Under talks with Hezb-e Eslami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, there are talks about building townships for refugees in Pakistan. It is, therefore, possible that hundreds of thousands of Pakistani nationals might be brought to the country as Afghan refugees and settled in special areas.

While struggling with refugees returning from other countries, the government of Afghanistan is also struggling with the issue of IDPs and it seems there is no particular plan to tackle this issue.

At a time when Afghanistan is seeking to solve its refugee issue, the international community should take measures to provide humanitarian assistance and prevent a crisis. But first, the government of Afghanistan should present a specific plan to the international community. The plan should serve as the basis for international aid for refugees in Afghanistan.

Although international aid to Afghanistan has never been conditional on domestic planning as Afghanistan has been supported systematically by major powers under a completely political process, the same does not apply to the refugee issue. The government will have to formulate strategies to resettle the refugees and provide services to them.

In addition, while the government is facing challenges and there is lack of security and employment opportunities in the country, it should not ask refugees to return to the country. Nothing is in order here. If the government fails to act and no external aid is raised or is raised by spent unwisely, new problems will emerge and Afghanistan will descend into a new humanitarian crisis.

The government should invite donors and foreign countries to build townships in different provinces of the country in a balanced fashion. It should take the fundamental steps in this regard and also provide emergency assistance to IDPs.

The arrival of refugees to the country especially from Pakistan is a very complicated and vague issue whose dangerous nobody has contemplated yet. We, therefore, suggest that this matter is heeded as a major and sensitive issue.

[End all]

Source: Mandegar, Kabul, in Dari, 29 Jan 17

Source: Mandegar in Dari 29 Jan 17

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The Guardian(London)

June 20, 2017 Tuesday 7:11 AM GMT

Refugee hackathons and 3D printing: apps for the world's displaced people;
Smartphones have changed how people flee danger and technology also enables them to respond to the biggest humanitarian crisis since the second world war

BYLINE: Tazeen Dhunna Ahmad

SECTION: VOLUNTARY SECTOR NETWORK; Version:1

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Smartphones have changed the way people flee.

"Without my smartphone I wouldn't have made it to Germany," explains Bassem*, a young man from Syria.

Maps with directions to border crossings, weather reports, language translators to help refugees communicate with volunteers and locals, and social media, which helps refugees share reliable information with one another - many refugees who might otherwise have perished managed to reach safety thanks to technology.

Related: Live Q&A: How can technology improve humanitarian response?

The number of mobile phones used in the refugee community is high. In the second largest refugee camp in the world, in Za'atari, Jordan, 86% of young people in the camp owned a mobile phone in 2015, with more than 50% of those using it to access the internet daily.

Technology is also driving the response to the largest humanitarian crisis since the second world war. It is being used to transform conditions and empower more than 22 million refugees worldwide.

Last month, for example, the social enterprise Techfugees hosted a hackathon in Jordan, where more than a third of the population are now refugees. The event brought people together to collaborate and find technology solutions to problems in the camp. It was won by two female Syrian refugees, who used crowdsourcing to identify water leakages in public piping and address the problem of water shortages.

Buoyed by this success, Techfugees is creating an online platform where innovators can pitch their solutions to charities, and charities can request tech help.

This is not just about day-to-day survival. With very limited educational and employment opportunities, there is little future for refugee populations. This is why MIT recently launched the Refugee ACTion Hub (ReACT), to find digital learning opportunities for a lost generation of children who, as a result of forced displacement, are losing their education.

MIT ReACT's founder, Admir Masic, lost everything during the war in the former Yugoslavia and became a teenage refugee. "I had access to a great deal of humanitarian support, such as food, clothes and shelter, but what changed my life was access to education," Masic says.

"Unlike many other kids in my refugee camp, I found an opportunity to prove my talent and that ended up changing my life."

Related: The global tech community tackles the refugee crisis

Now an assistant professor, Masic aims to ensure refugees are given access to quality education and an MIT-certified qualification, creating a strong foundation for them to realise their dreams. It is school and university coming to them.

Last year, the MIT Enterprise Forum pioneered a global initiative to encourage the technological potential of sectors including healthcare and energy through the Innovate for Refugees competition.

At the awards ceremony in October, seven winners were chosen from more than 1,600 applications worldwide. In total, 15% of applicants were refugees, two of whom were among the winners.

One of these was the Lebanese-based Recycle Beirut, a social business taking on two problems - the refugee crisis and the country's waste crisis - at once. The company employs refugees at a living wage to collect, sort and process recyclables in the greater Beirut area.

Another winning idea was Change Water Labs, which uses a revolutionary evaporative toilet to provide refugees with a more dignified and humane experience in unpleasant camp conditions.

A further example of technology supporting refugees is Dan Levin's Refugee Open Ware and Loay Malhameh's 3Dmena. Together, Levin and Malhameh partnered with Syria Relief and the National Syrian Project for Prosthetic Limbs to use 3D printing for prosthetics that are custom-built and cheaper, as well as a prototype cheap echolocation device that allows visually impaired people to navigate their homes.

Related: Is the fourth industrial revolution bad news for migrants and refugees?

Levin and Malhameh are part of a network of not-for-profit technologists, aid workers and entrepreneurs trying to "hack" some of the challenges refugees inside and outside of conflict zones encounter every day, from connecting to the internet to fighting barrel bombs.

"Much of what we're doing," says Levin, "is trying to disrupt the whole nature of humanitarian relief, of civil defence, perhaps even of warfare itself".

*Some names have been changed

Tazeen Dhunna Ahmad is founder of Humanity's Heart, whose film about the humanitarian response to the refugee crisis, Humanity Rising in the Refugee Crisis, is soon to be released

Talk to us on Twitter via @ Gdnvoluntary and join our community for your free fortnightly Guardian Voluntary Sector newsletter, with analysis and opinion sent direct to you on the first and third Thursday of the month.

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China Daily European Edition

June 27, 2017 Tuesday

Key to refugee crisis is enabling homecomings

BYLINE: Shen Yi

SECTION: OP-ED CONTRIBUTORS

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On June 20, World Refugee Day, Yao Chen, a well-known Chinese actress and a UN Refugee Agency Goodwill Ambassador, was heavily criticized by the public for reportedly "calling on" China to invest more resources to help refugees. Later she claimed reports on her words were rumors, and that through her observation the common wish of the refugees, no matter where they are from, is to go home. The subsequent online debate highlighted the diversified views Chinese people hold on what is a thorny and emotive issue worldwide.

Truly the refugees are suffering hardships and are in great need of help, but there should be a proper approach to helping them, and efforts made to root out the cause of the rapid increase of refugees, which requires the concerted efforts of the international community.

As Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday at a news conference during his one-day visit to Lebanon, more actions and urgency are necessary to curb the deterioration in the refugee crisis in the Middle East and find a solution as soon as possible. He noted that the refugees are displaced people, not migrants, and the international community should strive to create the conditions for them to return to their homes.

The number of confirmed refugees and displaced people worldwide tripled from 21.9 million in 2000 to 65.6 million in 2016, which makes the problem pressing. As well as civil wars and military conflicts, natural disasters such as tsunamis and droughts, have accelerated the rise in the number of refugees.

To strike at the root of the problem, the international society needs to invest ample resources in the regions from which refugees fled so that they can go home and resume their lives one day. However, that will take quite a long time, and in the meantime temporary measures are needed to relocate the refugees and provide them with support.

However, how to deal with refugees has divided Western societies in Europe which have had to cope with the influx of a large number of displaced people from strife-torn countries in the Middle East. This has even shaped the agendas of different political parties. Some are trying to mobilize their countries to extend a helping hand to the refugees, and others are trying to prevent them from entering.

There is also a wide gap between the elite and ordinary people on the issue. The elite can stand on the high moral ground as their daily lives are not greatly affected by the inflow of refugees. It is ordinary people that have to adapt to the sudden influx of large numbers of refugees.

Western media outlets also tend to sensationalize stories about the plight of the refugees or else the security risks they represent. That hinders constructive dialogue on the issue.

What's more, their coverage on the root cause of refugees is far from enough. It's the US' Middle East policy that is the fundamental cause of the chaos and growing terrorism in the war-torn region, with its European allies shouldering the refugee burden that resulted from its actions. Therefore, the international community should actually be calling on the US, which created the problem in the first place to take more responsibility for it.

China needs to stick to its stance that the proper approach is to enable displaced people to return home and rebuild their lives and let the world understand its concern is for the common good of all. As Wang Yi said on Friday, in order to solve the refugee problem we need to treat both the symptoms and the causes, and create the necessary environment for the refugees to return to their homelands, and improve their livelihoods through development and their own efforts.

The author is an associate professor on international studies at Fudan University.

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The Guardian(London)

March 9, 2017 Thursday 6:26 PM GMT

Refugees applying to live in UK face being sent home after five years;
Home Office quietly announces new policy where those applying for permanent residency face 'safe country review' after five years' limited leave

BYLINE: Alan Travis Home affairs editor

SECTION: WORLD NEWS; Version:1

LENGTH: 957 words

Tens of thousands of refugees who apply to live permanently in Britain are to be required to undergo an official review to see if it is safe for them to be sent back home, under new Home Office instructions.

The new policy of reviewing whether all refugees still require protection five years after they first obtained asylum in Britain was quietly slipped out on Thursday and it is believed to take immediate effect.

The new instructions were foreshadowed by Theresa May in her notorious "chilling and bitter" 2015 Conservative party conference speech when, as home secretary, she made clear that in future those who secured refugee status in Britain were only being given temporary protection.

"We'll introduce strengthened 'safe return reviews' - so when a refugee's temporary stay of protection in the UK comes to an end, or if there is a clear improvement in the conditions of their own country, we will review their need for protection. If their reason for asylum no longer stands and it is now safe for them to return, we will seek to return them to their home country rather than offer settlement here in Britain," she told her party conference.

The Home Office instructions make clear that the new safe return reviews will apply in all cases where a refugee applies to settle in Britain after they have completed the required probation period of five years' limited leave. Those who fail to apply will be declared overstayers and be barred from working or claiming benefits and are liable to be removed from the country.

The Home Office website says the Refugee Leave policy document was last updated on 9 March when "a new section" was "included on settlement and the need for a safe return review when considering settlement applications from those granted refugee status".

The instruction says the refugee leave policy is primarily to provide protection and a period of limited leave to those who need it.

It says: "The policy is designed to meet our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and EU law by granting refugee status and an appropriate period of leave to those who need our protection. To maintain a fair immigration system that requires all migrants, including those granted refugee status, to earn the right to settlement, and all the benefits that come with it, by completing an appropriate period of limited leave."

But it also adds that the policy is "to ensure that safe return reviews are carried out so that protection is provided for as long as it is needed, but make clear that those who no longer need protection will need to apply to stay on another basis or leave the UK".

The new policy sparked an immediate warning from the Refugee Council that it threatened the future of refugees in Britain by prolonging the anxious limbo many refugees are forced to endure while their asylum claims are processed by a further five years as they worry about their long-term futures.

Dr Lisa Doyle, of the Refugee Council, said: "This policy will result in refugees who have demonstrated their need for protection being prevented from being able to properly rebuild their lives and being left with the constant fear of return hanging over their heads.

"Actively reviewing individual cases after five years promises to be a costly, bureaucratic and unnecessary nightmare that completely misunderstands the fact that many refugees desperately want to return home of their own accord anyway when it's safe to do so," she said.

Immigration barrister, Colin Yeo, said the previous policy, which had been in place since 2005, was that a refugee would be granted an initial period of limited leave and would be automatically granted settlement when they applied at the end of the period.

"The only exceptions under the old policy were if the refugee engaged in criminal activities or similar or if a ministerial level declaration was made that a particular country was now safe, in which case refugee status for all refugees from that country would be reviewed. No such declarations were ever made under that policy," he said.

More than 59,000 refugees have been granted protection in Britain in the last five years and all will face now face a "safe country review" before they can make a life permanently in Britain.

The Home Office instruction says that the right to stay in Britain may now be refused if there has been "a significant and non-temporary change in country situation", a change in personal circumstances, the refugee has returned to their country of origin or obtained a national passport from that country. They may also be refused if there is evidence the original decision to recognise refugee status was incorrect or any of their dependents have travelled home.

The instruction say that a change in country situation refers to significant and non-temporary events that remove well-founded fears of persecution. Caseworkers are asked to note that the overthrow of one party by another or the election of a new government may not automatically mean there is no longer a risk of persecution.

They are told: "When someone with limited refugee leave applies to extend that leave a safe return review will be carried out. Where they no longer need protection they will not qualify for further refugee leave or settlement protection and will need to apply to stay on another basis or leave the UK. All those granted refugee leave may also have their case reviewed in light of any criminality and such leave may be revoked if they are no longer entitled to protection."

Yeo said that the change in personal circumstances may hit female refugees particularly hard and it may prove difficult to show that a risk of domestic violence or FGM remains five years after their original asylum claim.

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The Independent - Daily Edition

April 25, 2017 Tuesday
First Edition

Refugees arriving in UK becoming homeless once they're granted asylum

BYLINE: MAY BULMAN

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 18

LENGTH: 1140 words

Refugees in the UK are being consigned to hunger and homelessness immediately after they are granted asylum, a report has found, in what has been described as a "timely wake-up call" about the plight of refugees seeking sanctuary in the UK.

The research, published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Refugees, shows government policies are creating a costly "two-tier system" of refugee protection, with those who entered the country on government-led resettlement schemes generally provided for, but others often being left homeless and destitute - often damaging their prospects of integration.

A combination of delays and confusion about important paperwork from government departments, a "cliff-edge" of support following a positive decision on refugee status and poor English language provision are leading to refugees who want to contribute their skills and talents to the UK facing a number of barriers, the report warned. It reported "worrying" delays in the issuing of National Insurance numbers - necessary for newly recognised refugees to be able to gain access to finance and housing once their asylum support is ended - which is resulting in newly recognised refugees becoming destitute.

The 28-day period given to asylum seekers after they are successful in their application before the Home Office stops giving them support - known as the "move on" period - is too short, the report found, with the brevity of the move-on period leaving "too many newly recognised refugees homeless and destitute".

One refugee, Anas from Syria, was left unable to access jobseekers support or secure accommodation after the Home Office made a spelling mistake on his official paperwork, which resulted in him spending five months homeless, jobless and without any financial support. Speaking to researchers, Anas said: "ISIS and Assad mean that it's no longer safe for me at home. When I arrived in Britain I was so thankful to have been offered safety.

"All I wanted was to be a good person and give back to the country which sheltered me - but I couldn't for no better reason than because my paperwork was wrong and it took five months to fix it. I will always be grateful to Britain, but I will never understand a system which stops people like me from getting on my feet and contributing to society."

A programme under the last Labour government, called the Refugee Integration and Employment Service, offered 12 months of support to access housing, education, social security and the job market, but was ended under the coalition government in September 2011. Since then, there has been no government provided support service for refugees who have been through the asylum system.

The report also found that JobCentre staff who are dealing with refugees did not always provide the right information or have awareness of the correct procedures, leading to delays in refugees being able to access support. Refugees also face problems opening bank accounts, frequently as a result of being unable to provide documentation banks ask for, the evidence shows.

Separately, it found that many female refugees were at risk of sexual and gender-based violence once they arrive in the UK, due to being financially dependent on a partner and facing barriers to services such as English language classes. Commenting on the report's findings, Thangam Debbonaire, Labour MP for Bristol West and Chair of the APPG, told The Independent it was "bizarre" that the Home Office was preventing refugees from integrating into society by making it difficult to do simple things like finding accommodation and getting a job.

"If you don't get issued with the five pieces of documentation in time - which few do - you will have a high chance of being destitute without 28 days," Ms Debbonaire said. "There's a huge contrast between the elation that people thought they were going to feel when they were granted asylum, and the fact that immediately they face eviction from their asylum accommodation. They can't apply for benefits, they can't work - they can't do anything.

"These are people who have come here with very little, and haven't been allowed to work up until that point. Then suddenly they're asked to find a flat or accommodation in the private sector. I would struggle in 28 days - and I've got a good job. These are not asylum seekers whose claims are in dispute. These are people who the Home Office has decided are refugees. And that's a really high bar, because they don't grant it easily. To instantly make it hard for those who have been granted asylum to integrate seems bizarre.

"It doesn't help the UK population to feel like they are able to welcome refugees if the refugees themselves aren't in a position to integrate if they want to. British The refugees I met had all gone to enormous lengths to learn English, to try keep up their qualifications or get volunteering experiences. They want to work; they don't want to claim benefits. It doesn't help refugees and it doesn't help the indigenous population - it doesn't make any sense."

Stephen Hale, chief executive of Refugee Action, said the report served as a "timely wake-up call" for the Government to help refugees rebuild their lives and avoid "wasting their talents". "The new Government must seize the opportunity to enable all refugees in Britain, regardless of how they arrive, to successfully rebuild their lives," Mr Hale said. "English language classes are critical to this. All parties should commit to increase funding for this in the next Parliament, so that refugees' skills and experiences can enrich our culture and benefit our economy.

"Refugees are determined to learn English and start contributing to their new communities through volunteering, work and socialising with their neighbours. But as the report highlights, they face huge barriers to integration. Our own research shows refugees are waiting up to two years to start English language lessons - this is a shocking waste of their talents."

Alex Fraser, director of Refugee Support at the British Red Cross, meanwhile said: "This report confirms what we see on a daily basis: that all too often, people who have come to the UK after fleeing conflict or persecution are being left destitute and reliant on charity to survive.

"By definition, a refugee has had to leave their home country because their life is in danger. A two-tier system, where refugees who arrive in the UK as asylum seekers are at risk of being left homeless or living hand-to-mouth, is completely at odds with the supportive and welcoming spirit behind the government's Syrian Resettlement Programme.

"No one should be left destitute as a side effect of being granted protection in this country. We strongly encourage the Government to take notice of this report, in particular its recommendation to extend the 'move-on' period* from 28 days."

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The Independent (United Kingdom)

April 25, 2017 Tuesday 12:11 AM GMT

Refugees arriving in UK immediately becoming homeless once they're granted asylum, report finds;
Delays on important paperwork from Government departments anda 'cliff-edge'of support following positive decisions on refugee statusleading people into destitution, research shows

BYLINE: May Bulman

SECTION: HOME NEWS; Version:2

LENGTH: 1237 words

The research, published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Refugees, shows Government policies are creating a costly "two-tier system" of refugee protection, with those who entered the country on Government-led resettlement schemes generally provided for, but others often being left homeless and destitute - damaging their prospects of integration.

A combination of delays and confusion about important paperwork from Government departments, a "cliff-edge" of support following a positive decision on refugee status and poor English language provision are leading to refugees who want to contribute their skills and talents to the UK facing a number of barriers, the report warned.

Thousands of asylum seekers and migrants wrongly denied NHS healthcare

Syrians resettled in UK recognised as refugees by the UK Government

G4S warns asylum seekers 'behave or be deported'

It reported "worrying" delays in the issuing of National Insurance numbers - necessary for newly recognised refugees to be able to gain access to finance and housing once their asylum support is ended - which is resulting in newly-recognised refugees becoming destitute.

Speaking to researchers, Anas said: "Isis and Assad mean that it's no longer safe for me at home. When I arrived in Britain I was so thankful to have been offered safety.

Syrians resettled in UK recognised as refugees by the UK Government

"All I wanted was to be a good person and give back to the country which sheltered me - but I couldn't for no better reason than because my paperwork was wrong and it took five months to fix it.

"I will always be grateful to Britain, but I will never understand a system which stops people like me from getting on my feet and contributing to society."

Separately, it found that many female refugees were at risk of sexual and gender based violence once they arrive in the UK, due to being financially dependent on a partner and facing barriers to services such as English language classes.

Commenting on the report's findings, Thangam Debbonaire, Labour MP for Bristol West and chair of the APPG, told

The Independent

it was "bizarre" that the Home Office was preventing refugees from integrating into society by making it difficult to do simple things like finding accommodation and getting a job.

"If you don't get issued with the five pieces of documentation in time - which few do - you will have a high chance of being destitute without 28 days," Ms Debbonaire said.

"There's a huge contrast between the elation that people thought they were going to feel when they were granted asylum, and the fact that immediately they face eviction from their asylum accommodation. They can't apply for benefits, they can't work - they can't do anything.

"These are people who have come here with very little, and haven't been allowed to work up until that point. The suddenly they're ask to find a flat or accommodation in the private sector. I would struggle in 28 days - and I've got a good job.

G4S warns asylum seekers 'behave or be deported'

"These are not asylum seekers whose claims are in dispute. These are people who the Home Office has decided are refugees. And that's a really high bar, because they don't grant it easily. To instantly make it hard for those who have been granted asylum to integrate seems bizarre.

"It doesn't help refugees and it doesn't help the indigenous population - it doesn't make any sense."

Maurice Wren, the Chief Executive of the Refugee Council, who provide support to the APPG, meanwhile said:"It's unacceptable that the Government treats refugees unequally by offering a relative few the necessary help and support they need to integrate into British life, while simultaneously consigning another much larger group to the high risk of homelessness, hunger and despair.

"These are people who have fled the same bombs and the same bullets; it's vital the Government recognises that they need the same support to begin rebuilding their lives."

Stephen Hale, chief executive of Refugee Action, said the report served as a "timely wake-up call" for the Government to help refugees rebuild their lives and avoid "wasting their talents".

"This report is a timely wake-up call. The new Government must seize the opportunity to enable all refugees in Britain, regardless of how they arrive, to successfully rebuild their lives," Mr Hale said.

Alex Fraser, director of refugee support at the British Red Cross,said: "This report confirms what we see on a daily basis: that all too often, people who have come to the UK after fleeing conflict or persecution are being left destitute and reliant on charity to survive.

"No one should be left destitute as a side effect of being granted protection in this country. We strongly encourage the government to take notice of this report, in particular its recommendation to extend the 'move-on' period* from 28 days."

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The Sunday Times (London)

April 23, 2017 Sunday
Edition 1;
National Edition

Solving the refugee issue;
Two experts propose a fresh approach to one of the deining crises of our time CURRENT AFFAIRS

BYLINE: Justin Marozzi

SECTION: CULTURE;FEATURES; Pg. 34,35

LENGTH: 889 words

Refuge Transforming a Broken Refugee System by Alexander Betts and Paul CollierAllen Lane £20 pp288

The United Nations' International Organisation for Migration reported this month that West African migrants were being sold publicly in slave markets in Libya. The daily tragedies from this country alone - Isis fanatics converting female refugees to Islam and selling them as sex slaves, mass drownings in the Mediterranean, the Libyan coastguard in deadly clashes with migrant smugglers - are consistently heartbreaking.

The situation is little better in the eastern Mediterranean, where the implosion of Syria has created a refugee crisis of catastrophic proportions. Approximately m Syrians, almost half that country's population, have been forced to flee their homes.

Worldwide, the total igure for displaced people is more than m, of whom m are deined as refugees. Half of these are languishing in refugee camps for an average of years, waiting for peace in their homeland. All come from what are euphemistically designated "fragile" countries. Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia account for more than half of the world's refugees.

The central argument of Refuge is that the world's refugee system, designed in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War to cope with millions of refugees moving across Europe, is no longer it for purpose. Established in the late s, the underfunded UN High Commissioner for Refugees - backed by the Geneva convention on refugees that focused on individual persecution, rather than the conflict, disorder and state collapse that are today's drivers of refugees - simply cannot cope.

So much for the statistics and diagnosis. What about a route out of this inferno of human suffering? Alexander Betts, a refugee expert at Oxford University, and Paul Collier, an economist, development expert and sometime advisor to British prime ministers, place their emphasis on "pragmatic operational changes on the ground rather than the negotiation of lofty, abstract principles". In other words, they do rather more than wring their hands and plead with the international community to stop wars, ight corruption and lift the world's poor out of poverty.

At the heart of their approach is a call to move away from "the dominant camp-based 'care and maintenance' model" in order to allow refugees to work in their place of refuge. What better proof of the failings of this model, and the need for urgent rethinking, than the Dadaab camps of northern Kenya, where around , Somalis are denied both the right to work and freedom of movement in a de facto incarceration that lasts many years? Far better, surely, as the authors argue, to allow refugees to work and contribute to the economy of their host nation. Evidence is emerging that this radical policy change can bring swift, tangible beneits. Uganda, which hosts more than , refugees and is almost alone in permitting them to work, is one of the more imaginative and progressive examples. In the capital, Kampala, a recent study commissioned by Betts's refugee study centre found that of refugees ran job-creating businesses, with of their employees coming from the host country. This is a world away, in practice and principle, from the typical, autonomystripping refugee camps of Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon.

There are some encouraging signs that policy makers are listening to this argument. After an invitation to visit Jordan's sprawling Zaatari camp, with its bustling main market street known as the Shams-Elysées, Betts and Collier went to see a £m development zone lying almost empty just minutes away. That led to a pilot project, supported by the king of Jordan, David Cameron and the World Bank, to create , jobs for Syrian refugees. Yes, there are risks of exploitation by foreign multinationals, yes there are problems with special economic zones, but it takes a peculiarly dim critic to reject this new approach in favour of the systematic immiseration of a refugee system that prohibits employment.

Supporting refugees in the neighbouring countries in which they have sought refuge is sensible policy, not the moral dodge its opponents lazily suggest. Of the millions of Syrian refugees, are shared between Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. This is where the problem, and the solutions to it, must ultimately lie, funded much more generously by the world's richest nations. The refugees' present options of "encampment, urban destitution, perilous journey" are shamefully inadequate.

Betts and Collier remind us, in an analysis that is at once compassionate and dispassionate, and full of bold and innovative thinking, that it is just as possible to be soft-hearted and wrong as hard-headed and right. They give short shrift, for instance, to Angela Merkel's open-door policy on Syrian refugees, which has had desperately negative consequences. At a stroke, the German chancellor's "headless heart" policy tore up the EU's Dublin Agreement, under which refugees were bound to apply for asylum in the irst EU country they reached, emboldened Bashar al-Assad, precipitated a mass exodus of Syria's most educated population, and gave a shot in the arm both to people smugglers and Europe's far right, not to mention those campaigning for Brexit.

As they say, no good deed goes unpunished.

Radical policy changes can bring swift beneits

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GRAPHIC: Face of hope A clothes shop in Zaatari refugee camp, 2016AMMAR AWAD ALAMY

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BBC Monitoring South Asia - Political
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring

February 17, 2017 Friday

UN blamed for supporting Pakistan's forced return of Afghan refugees - paper

LENGTH: 586 words

Text of editorial "UNHCR will have to respond" by Afghan independent secular daily newspaper Hasht-e Sobh on 15 February

The latest report by the Human Rights Watch [HRW] on the nature of the deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan is shocking. The report says that prior to the launch of the deportation of Afghan refugees, under the so-called volunteer scheme, neither the Pakistani government nor the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR] took into consideration the current security and economic situation in Afghanistan. They even did not assess the Afghan government's capacity in receiving such a huge influx of refugees. [Passages omitted: quoting HRW report]

The report has also pointed to the behaviour of Pakistani police with the afghan refugees. The Pakistani government has haraased and tortured the Afghan refugees whenever it wanted. However, cooperation of UNHCR with Pakistani government on mass deportation of Afghan refugee is questionable. The HRW has issued its report on deportation of Afghan refugees and at the same time urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees not to remain silent towards Pakistan's forced deportation of the Afghan refugees in 2016. The report has called on UNHCR to condemn the pressures put by Pakistani government on the Afghan refugees.

The report also says that without taking into consideration various problems and threats that the returning Afghan refugees face, UNHCR also tried to encourage them to return to Afghanistan by paying each returnee USD 400. Afghanistan is facing with serious insecurity, dramatic increase in number of internally displaced people as well as high unemployment rate. Therefore, in such a situation how UNHCR agreed with the deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and why UNHCR did not take any measures to prevent forced deportation of the Afghan refugees and why this agency encouraged the return of Afghan refugees in hazardous areas.

Reports on status of the returning Afghan refugees indicate that most of them are not settled in secure areas and they have not received any kind of assistance from the government side. Moreover, the cold weather and heavy snowfalls has faced them with many disasters.

The Afghan government should also take up this issue with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The government is already facing with various challenges and trying to survive in this situation. Therefore, arrival of thousands of unemployed people can have negative consequences for the country's security and economic situation and such arrivals may only strengthen the Taliban and Daesh [Islamic State group] ranks against the government.

Following the departure of thousands of foreign forces from Afghanistan, hundreds of people lost their jobs. The labour market was filled with thousands of unemployed people and the government has not yet been able to address this challenge. Forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan added thousands of labourers to the markets in Afghanistan.

The UNHCR should clarify that how it was convinced to agree with forced deportation of thousands of Afghan refugees from Pakistan while the security situation is deteriorating in the country, the economic crisis is deepening and thousands of people have been displaced as a result of the ongoing conflict across the country. Why the UNHCR has violated the humanitarian principles, left thousands of deported refugees homeless and at high risks.mh

Source: Hasht-e Sobh in Dari 15 Feb 17

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BBC Monitoring Africa - Political
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring

March 25, 2017 Saturday

Kenyan leader seeks international help for Somali refugees

LENGTH: 940 words

Text of report in English by PSCU entitled "President Kenyatta roots for increased support for Somalia" published by state-owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) website on 25 March

President Uhuru Kenyatta Saturday [25 March] made an appeal to the international community to act right to fully bring back Somalia into the fold of the international community of nations as he rooted for durable solutions to the Somali refugees problem.

President Kenyatta said the recent presidential elections in Somalia is the latest indication that Somalia is on the right track thanks to the determination of its people, the commitment by the African Union and the support of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

"Indeed, the recent election of President Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed is the latest and clearest indication of the progressive success of our collective efforts, alongside the brave people of Somalia," President Kenyatta said.

President Kenyatta spoke on Saturday in Nairobi when he hosted a special IGAD summit whose agenda was to find a lasting solution to return Somali refugees back to their homes, the first summit of its kind to address the refugee problem.

"What is clear to me, as it is to you leaders, and to all the Somali refugees, is that the time for lasting solutions is now," said President Kenyatta, who is also the IGAD rapporteur.

He made a passionate appeal that turned focus on the refugees themselves and why it was the right time for them to go back home and participate in building their nation.

"A refugee camp was never meant to be a permanent home, nor is being a refugee a promise of losing your citizenship and your country," he said.

He detailed how more than 400,000 refugees from Somalia have been cramped into the Dadaab refugee for more than two decades.

The president said that the camp has always operated with a fraction of the budget it requires and the life has been hard on the refugees.

Besides, the suffering for the refugees, the president said the camp has long lost its humanitarian character.

"It is not acceptable to us that a space that is supposed to provide safety and assistance is transformed to facilitate agents of terror and destruction," said President Kenyatta.

He said Kenya reached a decision to close the refugee camp after the situation in Somalia improved and after government came to the conclusion that the threats from the camp were big.

"Dadaab has become a protracted situation, characterised by hopelessness that easily feeds environmental destruction; conflicts between refugees and host communities; insecurity; radicalisation; criminality; and allows terrorist operatives to exploit it for their operational efforts," said the president.

He said majority of the refugees want to go back home and so far 60,000 have voluntarily returned to Somalia.

The president said Kenya has already committed more than 100m shillings [989,000 dollars] to support the voluntary repatriation of refugees.

The president said he recently hosted the new Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed "Farmajo" where Kenya pledge to build the capacity of the Somali government institutions, including training teachers, nurses, and administrators.

He said Kenya has also pledged another 100m shillings to construct a technical training institute to give skills to train refugee youth before they go back home.

The president extended an appeal to the international community to build the basic infrastructure that will enable and encourage refugees return while Amisom [African Union Mission in Somalia] continues to provide security where it is not available.

"This is key, not only as a humanitarian calling and a fulfilment of the international responsibility to refugees, but for the long-term stability and potential of Somalia," he said.

The president also called on humanitarian and development actors to operate from within Somalia as the country continues to gather pace in return to normalcy.

"Now that Somalia is stabilising we must, all, stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters," said the president.

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn who is also the IGAD chairman said the search for a lasting solution to the Somali refugee problem must be placed at the centre of peace and security efforts in the region.

The Ethiopian prime minister applauded the time of the summit, saying: "This meeting could hardly be more timely to address the plight of the Somali refugees."

Saying Somalia President Mohamed has a clear vision to develop Somalia and address the problem of refugees, Prime Minister Desalegn called for enhanced capacity for the Somali government to win the war against al-Shabab to ensure peace and security.

He encouraged development partners and financial institutions to continue supporting the resilience of refugee hosting countries and facilitate the voluntary repatriation and resettlement of refugees.

President Mohamed outlined the strategies his government has put in place to provide a durable solution to the refugee problem, including equipping the youth with skills and training that will enable participate effectively in building their nation.

He urged humanitarian organisations and development partners to relocate to Somalia, saying his government is committed to providing a conducive environment within which they can operate comfortably.

Other IGAD heads of state who attended the summit included Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Salva Kiir of South Sudan, Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti while Sudan was represented by its Vice-President Hassabo Mohamed Abdulrahman.

Source: KBC Online text website, Nairobi, in English 25 Mar 17

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FinancialWire

June 21, 2017 Wednesday

Heading to Uganda for "solidarity summit," UN chief marks World Refugee Day with calls for action

LENGTH: 657 words

Refugee protection is not a matter of solidarity or generosity, but an obligation under international law, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today said, detailing five strong appeals to the international community for respecting refugees' rights.

"We are still witnessing many remarkable examples of solidarity in today's world. But at the same time, we are seeing more and more borders being closed, we are seeing more and more refugees being rejected and, namely in countries of the developed world," Mr. Guterres said in his first press conference in New York since becoming Secretary-General.

Among his calls on Member States, Mr. Guterres urged Governments to manage their borders but to increase their resettlement quotas and protect asylum seekers and people who deserve protection; to seek political solutions to world's conflicts which are spurring the record 65.6 million refugees; and to fund humanitarian aid work.

In line with World Refugee Day, marked annually on 20 June, Mr. Guterres, who was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for a decade prior, announced that he would be leaving later today for Uganda, which this week hosts a UN-backed summit to support the more than 1.3 million refugees within its borders for the next four years.

Some 950,000 refugees from South Sudan have crossed into Uganda since the start of the conflict in the world's newest country in December 2013. The figure is three times higher than the number of refugees who crossed the Mediterranean Sea into Europe last year, Mr. Guterres said, adding that Uganda not only provides protection but land for the refugees.

I also think it's important to underline that the difficulties faced by refugees are also linked to the fact that the migration debate has become quite irrational in today's world.

In contrast, the UN chief had sharp words for developed countries not doing enough to provide support for refugees or take them in despite heart breaking pleas for food, water and other basics.

Some 80 per cent of the world's refugees are hosted by developing countries with "a dramatic impact" on their economy, society and security, he noted.

"This is particularly worrying, especially when associated to forms of political populism, xenophobia, racism, in which refugees become a target," Mr. Guterres said, "many times being accused of being part of the terror threat when refugees are not terrorists - they are the first victims of terror, they are fleeing terror; that is why they are refugees."

RELATED: Sheer scale of influx into Uganda means Africa's largest refugee crisis now a 'children's crisis,' UNICEF warns

Speaking alongside Ninette Kelley, the Director of the NY Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Mr. Guterres lashed out at the "irrational debate" surrounding migration, calling it a "necessary element of establishing different forms of equilibrium in the global society and the global economy."

Stressing that Governments need to apply their own migration policies in their countries, he urged world leaders to respect human rights and to create opportunities within their borders so that people migrate "out of choice and not out of necessity."

Addressing the difference between refugees and migrants, Mr. Guterres said that the UN General Assembly will next year hold two key debates with the aim of agreeing on two compacts - one on refugees and one on migration.

"We are talking about two different situations: refugees crossing borders, fleeing conflict or prosecution, [and] economic migrants who aspire legitimately to have a better life and move from one country to another, aiming at a better future for them and their children," the Secretary-General said.

He added that migration is necessary: "If something is necessary, it's better to control it and to do it regularly than to let smugglers and traffickers be in charge of these movements."

(Distributed by M2 Communications (www.m2.com))

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Express Online

April 25, 2017 Tuesday 12:01 AM GMT

Thousands of refugees risk homelessness because the government doesn't provide enough help

LENGTH: 629 words

THOUSANDS of refugees in the UK run the risk of homelessness and destitution due to a lack of support from the Government, a cross-party report has found.

GETTY

The APPG has urged the next government to increase levels of support for asylum seekers

People granted refugee status after going through the asylum process receive less support than refugees brought to the UK through Government-led resettlement schemes, the inquiry found.

The all-party parliamentary group on refugees called for the next government to improve levels of support available for all people who have fled to the UK.

The report found that more than 50,000 refugees have arrived through the asylum route since 2012, while resettlement programmes accounted for fewer than 10,000 people in the same period.

Related articles Desperate child migrants selling sex to fund journeys to Britain Liberal CHANGES VIEW on refugees after working on migrant RESCUE boats

The panel of MPs and peers said a "two-tier system has developed for refugees", and criticised a 28-day cut-off period after which support is withdrawn for asylum seekers once their status is confirmed.

The report said: "Throughout our inquiry we were told by refugees and organisations that support them that the 28-day period - known as the 'move on' period - is too short.

"Coupled with the the lack of support for refugees to navigate the social security system and private housing market, the brevity of the move on period leaves too many newly-recognised refugees homeless and destitute."

GETTY

The report called for an extension on the current 28-day 'move on' period

The panel also criticised "drastic" cuts in funding for English language courses and said there was a "regrettable" lack of a strategy to integrate refugees in the UK.

The report recommends the incoming government appoints a new cross-department minister for refugees to oversee a new strategy.

The APPG's chairwoman, Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire, said: "A refugee is a refugee however they were granted status. Most will want to return home when conflict is over and in the meantime want to contribute to this country.

"These are often skilled professionals and, by definition, they all have strength and determination to offer.

GETTY

The group criticised the government for cutting English Language courses

"But there are administrative flaws in the system which could be easily fixed. Creating a two-tier system for refugees, loading the dice against people who come here to build a new life, is not just the wrong thing to do, but a costly missed opportunity for Britain.

"The UK can learn from the positive examples of the resettlement programme and the Scottish integration scheme to enable refugees to contribute and feel welcomed. Refugees bring so many talents and skills - they just need the opportunities to unlock their potential."

Tory MP David Burrowes, the APPG's vice-chairman, said: "For too many refugees, being granted their status is the beginning of a period characterised by homelessness and destitution. Protection must mean more than just a piece of paper."

Stephen Hale, the chief executive of charity Refugee Action, said: "This report is a timely wake-up call. The new government must seize the opportunity to enable all refugees in Britain, regardless of how they arrive, to successfully rebuild their lives.

"English language classes are critical to this. All parties should commit to increase funding for this in the next parliament, so that refugees' skills and experiences can enrich our culture and benefit our economy."

Related articles Government speeding up appeals process for asylum seekers in UK Almost 9,000 migrants saved from Mediterranean over Easter weekend Desperate EU could pay members THOUSANDS for EACH extra asylum seeker

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thetimes.co.uk

April 25, 2017 Tuesday 12:01 AM GMT

We must fix the two-tier system that stops refugees contributing

BYLINE: Thangam Debbonaire, David Burrowes

SECTION: NEWS; Version:3

LENGTH: 849 words

In a week's time, parliament will be dissolved. MPs will return to their constituencies for a general election that will have Brexit at its heart.

As part of the election campaign, many questions will be asked, many column inches will be written, and many debates will be had about the post-Brexit immigration system. As chairman and vice-chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on refugees (APPG), we are clear that part of that system, and of showing that the UK remains global-facing, should be a policy based on compassion that allows refugees to rebuild their lives and contribute to our communities.

Over the last nine months, we have been part of a cross-party inquiry looking at how the system supports refugees in order that they may integrate successfully.

While there has been much political debate about how many refugees the UK should be hosting, there has been little - if any - focus on what happens to refugees once they have been given protection. The inquiry sought to correct this.

Today we publish our report. In it we find that there is a two-tier system of support for refugees. The evidence we received showed that refugees who arrive in the UK through one of the government-led resettlement schemes are provided with accommodation and dedicated support.

But for those who are granted protection after applying for asylum, no such support exists. This leads to many refugees facing homelessness and destitution: the joy of being granted refugee status after what can be a long and traumatic asylum process is quickly replaced by the stress of having to find housing and financial support.

It is a costly, self-destructive distinction that wastes potential, serves no one and harms the prospect of successful integration.

Take Nour. He fled fighting in Syria and was lucky enough to be selected to come to Britain under the resettlement scheme. His English wasn't great but he's bright and determined. Within weeks of arriving, he was taking regular English classes at college (often referred to as ESOL) and now he chats away happily in English. He's studying computer science at university and his ambition is to start the next Microsoft.

Nour was offered protection in the UK and with the right package of support - which also included help finding suitable accommodation from day one in Britain - he's now supporting himself and has a bright future. He's an asset to the UK, partly through his own hard work and partly because we very sensibly gave him the tools to succeed.

Not everyone is so fortunate. Fighting between militias in Iraq meant Sami's home was no longer safe. He arrived in the UK in 2013 and was recognised as a refugee after three years. His parents, who arrived with him, were also granted refugee status but faced long delays in receiving their paperwork from the Home Office.

When you're granted refugee status, you're given 28 days by the Home Office to find somewhere to stay and vacate the accommodation you're provided with while you're waiting for the Home Office's decision. So delays in paperwork can be a big problem for newly recognised refugees. In Sami's case, he ended up homeless. Eventually the right paperwork arrived and he and his parents were able to set up a bank account and rent a flat.

But Sami's problems didn't stop there. He had to wait more than a year before being allowed to learn English, meaning he couldn't enter education and couldn't find a job.

In our report, we argue that all refugees, no matter how they arrive in the UK, should be given the support and opportunities they need to make the most of their talents and their abilities. Not only does this allow refugees to rebuild their lives, but it means that they are able to make full use of their talents and abilities.

The refugees we spoke to during our inquiry told us of their determination and desire to overcome the challenges they face and contribute to the UK. To allow this, in our report we recommend that the future government should introduce a national integration strategy that is applicable to all refugees in the UK. The strategy should be overseen by a dedicated minister for refugees to ensure there is a focus on refugee policy across Whitehall.

The strategy should set out how refugees can be supported to integrate successfully: to gain the English language skills, to receive the medical care, and to be given the opportunities they need to be able to contribute to the UK.

When someone is awarded refugee protection by the UK government, this must mean more than just a piece of paper. The recommendations we make today will help refugees be welcomed to the UK and to successfully integrate. This will benefit not only refugees, but also their local communities and the country as a whole.

As one refugee, Kolbassia, told us: "We have people who are engineers, community leaders, teachers, people with important skills who can contribute to this contribute to this country. When we're talking about refugees that achieve great things for this country - like Mo Farah - not everyone is Mo Farah, but everybody has something to give to this country."

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FinancialWire

March 23, 2017 Thursday

Joint statement on behalf of the Government of Uganda and UNHCR: 'Breaking Point' imminent: Government of Uganda, UNHCR say help for South Sudan refugee inflow urgently needed

LENGTH: 598 words

GENEVA, Switzerland -- The Government of Uganda and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi today jointly appealed to the international community for urgent and massive support for the thousands of South Sudan refugees who continue to arrive to Uganda every day, fleeing brutal conflict, compounded by the limited availability of food.

Uganda currently hosts more than 800,000 South Sudanese refugees. Among them are some 572,000 new arrivals who have poured into Uganda in desperate need of safety and help since 8 July 2016. With present rates of arrival, that figure will surpass a million before mid- 2017. This year alone, more than 172,000 South Sudanese refugees have fled to Uganda, with new arrivals in March averaging more than 2,800 daily.

"Uganda has continued to maintain open borders," said Rt. Hon. Ruhakana Rugunda, Prime Minister of Uganda. "But this unprecedented mass influx is placing enormous strain on our public services and local infrastructure. We continue to welcome our neighbours in their time of need but we urgently need the international community to assist as the situation is becoming increasingly critical."

"We are at breaking point. Uganda cannot handle Africa's largest refugee crisis alone," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. "The lack of international attention to the suffering of the South Sudanese people is failing some of the most vulnerable people in the world when they most desperately need our help."

Chronic and severe underfunding has reached a point where critical life-saving help risks becoming dangerously compromised. Transit and reception facilities are rapidly becoming overwhelmed. Significant challenges are being faced in providing refugees with adequate food rations, health and educational services, and sufficient clean water; a dire situation further compounded by the onset of heavy rains. Currently, UNHCR urgently needs more than a quarter of a billion US dollars to support South Sudanese refugees in Uganda in 2017.

Uganda's approach to dealing with refugees has long been among the most progressive anywhere on the African continent. Upon receiving refugee status, refugees are provided with small areas of land in settlements integrated within the local host community; a pioneering approach that enhances social cohesion and allows both refugees and host communities to live together peacefully. In Uganda's Mid and South-West, land for these settlements is provided by Government. In northern Uganda, where the vast majority of South Sudanese refugees are being hosted, the land has been donated by the local host community, an outstanding display of generosity towards people fleeing war and conflict.

As a result Uganda was chosen as a role model for pioneering a comprehensive approach to refugee protection that complements humanitarian responses with targeted development action, benefiting both refugees and the communities hosting them. This was adopted as part of the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants at the UN General Assembly last year, and is now also being rolled out in other displacement crises - offering hope to millions of refugees worldwide. However, in the face of severe underfunding and the fastest-growing refugee emergency in the world, Uganda's ability to realise a model that allows refugees to thrive now risks being jeopardized - and the future of the new comprehensive refugee response framework thrown into question.

Distributed by APO on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

(Distributed by M2 Communications (www.m2.com))

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The Independent (United Kingdom)

March 23, 2017 Thursday 12:45 AM GMT

Syrians resettled in UK recognised as refugees six years after civil war begins;
Home Office announces people fleeing to UK from Syria will now be grantedrefugee status, giving them previously denied access to university and overseas travel documents

BYLINE: May Bulman

SECTION: HOME NEWS; Version:2

LENGTH: 691 words

Syrians being resettled in the UK are to be recognised as refugees by the Government, six years after the country's civil war began.

People who have fled Syria and are resettled in Britain

under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (

VPRS

)

will for the first time be granted refugee status, enabling them to access certain rights that have previously been barred to them, including higher education and overseas travel documents.

Syrian refugees in the UKhave previously been given a special form of leave to remain called Humanitarian Protection, which prevented them from accessing services that are granted to those with refugee status.

Government blocks entry to disabled child refugees

Labour peer has taken in Syrian refugee after visiting Calais jungle

No, Syrian refugees cannot return to Aleppo

They faced a three-year wait before being eligible for student finance, which put university out of reach of many, and were also unable to apply for the same travel documents as other refugees, which resulted in Syrians being unable to easily go abroad to visit their family in other countries.

In a written ministerial statement published on Wednesday, the Home Secretary said that while the decision to grant Humanitarian Protection rather than Refugee Leave to Syrians fleeing war was "right at the time", the Government has since recognised that it did not provide access to particular benefits and decided to grant them refugee status.

"At the beginning of the scheme, granting Humanitarian Protection allowed us to quickly assist and resettle the most vulnerable. As we have previously said, we have kept the policy under active review," read the statement.

"We have listened to those who have raised concerns about the consequences, for those we resettle to the UK, of granting Humanitarian Protection rather than Refugee Leave. We have also taken the time to work through the policy and practical implementation issues in detail.

"The decision to grant Humanitarian Protection was the right one at that time. However, while Humanitarian Protection recognises the need an individual has for international protection, it does not carry the same entitlements as refugee status, in particular, access to particular benefits.

"We think it is right to change the policy and now is the right time to make this change."

The statement said that from 1 July 2017, the Government would be granting those admitted under the VPRS and the VCRS refugee status and five years' limited leave, with those who are already resettled under these programmes given the opportunity to make a request to change their status from Humanitarian Protection to refugee status.

Campaign groups who have been carrying out behind the scenes lobbying for resettled Syrians to have the same rights as people granted refugee status have welcomed the move, but said the previous policy was "not enough" from the start.

Respondingto the announcement, Labour peer

Baroness

Lister

, who has been asking questions about why the Government hasn't changed the policy

in the House o

f Lords since the start of the year, told The

Independent:

"I'm delighted by the news. It's taken a long time, and there's been quite a lot of behind the scenes pushing and shoving.

"I can see the argument as to why the Government had originally applied Humanitarian Protection, because things had to move quickly, but they could then have moved faster as evidence was presented to them of the problems that this was creating. This change is

very important for those who will benefit from it."

Dr Lisa Doyle,

irector of a

dvocacy at the

Refugee

Council,a charity that has been campaigning for the change,said

: "The Refugee Council is delighted that refugees from Syria have finally been recognised as such by the Government. This news will open the door to university for thousands of Syrian refugees and enable people to be able to visit their loved ones in other countries.

"It's never been enough for the Government's resettlement programme to enable Syrian refugees to simply survive, and everyone stands to benefit from allowing refugees to thrive, integrate into British life and achieve their full potential."

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ENP Newswire

June 15, 2017 Thursday

-IKEA U.S. supports its local communities by donating 5,000 beds and bedding to refugee families who are starting new lives in America

LENGTH: 1364 words

(Conshohocken, PA) - IKEA U.S. announced today that it has created a community donation program - a campaign called 5,000 Dreams - that will focus on supporting newly arrived refugee families in local IKEA store communities. Through three partner refugee organizations, IKEA will donate 5,000 beds and bedding* to refugee families who are making fresh starts with their families. The three established refugee organizations are the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, the International Rescue Committee and the Ethiopian Community Development Council.

The current international refugee crisis is one of the greatest, most complex humanitarian challenges of our generation. Today, the number of people displaced from their homes by violence and persecution is unprecedented in human history. By the end of 2015, over 65 million people were forcibly displaced, with nearly a third-20 million-living outside of their countries as refugees.

'IKEA is committed to creating a better everyday life and that includes respecting the basic human rights of every individual. We believe every person has equal value and that the global family is strengthened when all of humanity is recognized,' commented Evamay Lawson, IKEA U.S. Community Relations Manager. Lawson added, 'We are pleased we can make a difference in our community's refugee families by donating beds and bedding to help make their new homes comfortable with a good night's sleep.'

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, sleep helps your brain work properly. 'While you're sleeping, your brain is preparing for the next day. It's forming new pathways to help you learn and remember information. Studies show that a good night's sleep improves learning. It also supports healthy growth and development.'**

'The way IKEA has demonstrated leadership in service and support to refugees is so humbling. 5000 Dreams is more than just a warm, safe place to lay one's head. It is a statement of solidarity and compassion for people who never expected to find themselves displaced. As an international business, they are setting a high bar for both business and government leaders to do all they can to support the uprooted,' stated Lavinia Limon, President/CEO, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

'ECDC's resettlement network very much appreciates IKEA's leadership in helping refugees. ECDC stands with IKEA U.S. in saying that refugees are welcome,' said Dr. Tsehaye Teferra, Director of ECDC. 'After experiencing significant hardship, refugees are now rebuilding their lives and will have one of the most basic of comforts---a bed. ECDC welcomes this partnership with IKEA in welcoming refugees to their new life in America.'

'When refugees arrive in the U.S. they bring little to nothing with them,' said David Miliband, IRC president and CEO, 'so the little things you and I might take for granted every day can make a huge difference in their comfort and in establishing the feeling of home. Now more than ever, the International Rescue Committee - and more importantly, the resilient refugees we serve - look to innovative partnerships like IKEA's 5,000 Dreams to help refugees build a home here in America.'

Some publicly available information from HHS & Pew.

Of the 84,995 refugees admitted to the United States in fiscal year 2016, the largest numbers came from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Burma (Myanmar) and Iraq. (Pew)

Since 1975, the U.S. has resettled more than 3 million refugees, with nearly 77 percent being either Indochinese or citizens of the former Soviet Union. Since the enactment of the Refugee Act of 1980, annual admissions figures have ranged from a high of 207,116 in 1980, to a low of 27,100 in 2002. (HHS)

IKEA U.S. has been committed to helping its local communities through many social programs including Early Steps to School Success, Feeding the Future and the Life Improvement programs that benefit community schools, organizations and institutions which need a helping hand through IKEA product donations and IKEA co-worker volunteer support.

On a global level, since 2010, the IKEA Foundation has committed over $ 165 million*** (EUR148 million) to UNHCR to provide shelter, access to education, livelihood opportunities and renewable energy to families and children living in Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Jordan. Working with the social enterprise organizations - Better Shelter and UNHCR - the IKEA Foundation has created a safer and more durable shelter. In 2015, UNHCR bought 10,000 shelters to house displaced families in several countries, including Greece, Iraq, Djibouti, Chad and Serbia. The IKEA Foundation Brighter Lives for Refugees campaign in IKEA stores globally raised $ 34.4 million (EUR30.8 million) in 2014 and 2015, to bring sustainable lighting, energy and education to refugee camps.

The IKEA Foundation recently created another refugee program with a positive societal impact; purchasing rugs from Jordan and partnering with local refugee social enterprises/foundations. This program will enable 200 Syrian refugee woman to produce saleable rugs through IKEA.

For more information, go to www.IKEA-USA.com/5000dreams

NOTE: IKEA U.S. will be working with 3 refugee agencies for the bulk of the donations, however 6 IKEA stores (Orlando, charlotte, West Chester, Portland, Round Rock & Memphis), will be working with local refugee organizations. IKEA Long Island is not participating due to lack of local refugee organization.

*5,000 beds will be donated between 2 years, 2017 and 2018 **https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why ***$ 1.12 US to one EUR (Euro)

Contacts:

IKEA U.S., Mona Astra Liss, 610.834.0180/5852, Mona.Liss@IKEA.com

International Rescue Committee, Sean Piazza, 646.761.0307, Sean.Piazza@rescue.org

Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc., Solace Duncan, 703.685.0510 ext. 246, sduncan@ecdcus.org

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Stacie Blake, 703.310.1166, 727.215.8318, sblake@uscridc.org

IKEA

Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings of good design and function at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. There are currently more than 392 IKEA stores in 48 countries, including 44 in the U.S. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information see IKEA-USA.com, @IKEAUSANews, @IKEAUSA or IKEAUSA on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants has protected the rights and addressed the needs of persons in forced or voluntary migration worldwide for over 106 years. Our vision is that immigrants, refugees and uprooted people will live dignified lives with their rights respected and protected in communities of opportunity. In the United States our network is comprised of over 100 local agencies. Learn more at www.refugees.org

The International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and 28 offices across the U.S. helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future, and strengthen their communities. Learn more at www.rescue.org and follow the IRC on Twitter & Facebook.

Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc.

ECDC is one of nine resettlement agencies working in partnership with the Department of State and the Office of Refugee Resettlement to provide initial placement and support services to refuges being resettled in the United States. With a special focus on African refugees, ECDC promotes cultural, educational and socioeconomic development programs to assist refugees and immigrants in becoming productive members of their new homeland. For more information about ECDC visit http://www.ecdcus.org/ and follow ECDC on Facebook and Twitter.

[Editorial queries for this story should be sent to newswire@enpublishing.co.uk ]

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BBC Monitoring Africa - Political
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring

May 10, 2017 Wednesday

Uganda seeks additional funding for refugees

LENGTH: 618 words

Text of report in English by David Mafabi and Emmanuel Ainebyoona entitled "Uganda struggling to feed refugees - government" published by leading privately-owned Ugandan newspaper The Daily Monitor website on 10 May

With more than 2,000 South Sudanese refugees pouring into Uganda every day, plus another 1.2 million already in the country, the government and aid agencies are struggling to feed the numbers.

Uganda is currently ranked as the second-largest refugee-hosting country in the world, after Turkey, with the World Food Programme estimating Uganda's monthly food requirement for the refugees at about 12m dollars (about 43bn shillings).

Uganda Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda said although the government has spent about 544bn shillings, its resource envelope is overstretched, saying the country would be seeking more funding during the refugee solidarity summit set for 22 to 23 June in Kampala in order to cater for the refugees and host communities.

Dr Rugunda said despite the resource challenges, Uganda has an "incredibly progressive" approach to asylum and provides refugees with plots of land for settlement and farming close by the Ugandan host communities.

He said in 2016, the government and the UN each spent 544bn shillings in responding to the needs of the refugees and host communities in 12 districts but that the funding is inadequate given the daily average influx of 2,000 refugees.

"These huge numbers are placing a huge strain on our stressed ability to cater for their food, water, health care and education of the refugees and host communities and that is why we are calling for a solidarity summit on refugees to drum for more funding," said Dr Rugunda.

He said government has commenced preparations for the high level solidarity conference that is expected to attract key international organisations in an attempt to drum up support and mobilise resources for the thousands of refugees in Uganda.

"It is a crisis"

The refugee solidarity conference will be jointly hosted by President Museveni and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"It is a crisis and the international community must come together with their resources and expertise to ensure the humanitarian appeals are fully funded and also to explore the reasons why people are fleeing in the first place," Dr Rugunda added.

Mr Hillary Onek, the relief, disaster preparedness and refugees minister, consented there was a refugee crisis and that this was impacting negatively on the host communities and the economy of Uganda.

He said the Government of Uganda and UN refugee agency UNHCR are collaborating with humanitarian organisations to coordinate the refugee response at border entry points and are providing clean water and medical screenings and examining children for malnutrition, and providing high-energy biscuits.

Integration of host communities

Ms Rosa Malango, the UN resident coordinator and UNDP resident representative, said they were working on a programme to integrate host communities through implementing the Refugee and Host population Empowerment [ReHope] strategy in partnership with the World Bank.

She said the summit is to support and strengthen Uganda's progressive and transformative approach to refugee protection through mobilising new funding to meet the ever increasing cost of humanitarian and long-term needs of the growing number of refugees and supporting host communities.

In a related event, Uganda will host the Third Pan African Forum on Migration (PAFoM) scheduled for 15 to 17 May at Speke Resort Munyonyo, under the theme: "Towards a Common African Position on the Global Compacts on Migration and on Refugees."

Source: Daily Monitor website, Kampala, in English 10 May 17

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ENP Newswire

June 21, 2017 Wednesday

-Unilever: The role business can play in tackling the refugee crisis

LENGTH: 945 words

Unilever: The role business can play in tackling the refugee crisis.

To mark World Refugee Day, we examine the role of the business community in helping to address the biggest refugee crisis since World War II and share specific actions that Unilever is taking.

By the end of 2016, an estimated 65.6 million people were forcibly displaced from their homes as a result of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations1. These crises deprive individuals of their livelihoods, tear apart families and destroy communities. They put a strain on public resources, health systems and schools in host countries. Additionally, by increasing the risk of forced labour and disrupting business continuity, they have a damaging impact on businesses across the entire value chain and on economic growth.

Businesses have a vital role to play

Businesses can and must play an active role in helping address the refugee crisis, as the cost of inaction is greater than the cost of action. Doing so can help create jobs, raise the productivity and wages of local workers, lift capital returns, stimulate international trade and investment, and boost innovation, enterprise and growth. According to the International Monetary Fund, investing EUR1 in welcoming refugees can yield nearly EUR2 in economic benefits within five years2.

Addressing the refugee crisis is as much about sustainable growth as it is about respecting and defending human rights. As CEO Paul Polman says: 'Refugees are often young and bring diversity and skills. Many have qualities related to perseverance, overcoming challenges, hard work and an ability to problem solve, as well as self-motivation. Not surprisingly, countries that embrace refugees usually have a healthier outlook.'

Leveraging our core business

In addressing the refugee crisis, we bring to the table a host of resources such as our understanding of consumers, knowledge of behaviour change, our ability to highlight issues to consumers, and the provision of financing. By leveraging these strengths in partnership with NGOs, governments, and civil society organisations, we are able to uplift the quality of people's lives and strengthen economies.

For example, as part of Vaseline's brand purpose to help heal the skin of 5 million people living in poverty or crisis by 2020, we launched the Vaseline Healing Project in partnership with Direct Relief. The Project sponsored several dermatological missions providing skin health treatment to people on the frontline. Two of these missions were implemented in refugee camps in Jordan, where an estimated 1,500 patients were treated. And through our partnership, Direct Relief has shipped almost 10,000 units of Vaseline products to help Syrian refugees in Greece and Jordan.

In Lebanon, Unilever joined forces with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Carrefour to help vulnerable individuals during the cold winter months. Through Smile with Us, we are raising awareness of the refugee crisis in retail stores and raising funds from the sale of our products, to provide families with essential everyday items. Given the success of this campaign, it has now being extended to Jordan and Iraq.

Using our scale to drive collective action

We are also using our size and scale to drive collective action. In 2017, we joined the Tent Partnership for Refugees, a platform that enables corporate leaders to unite to more effectively leverage the ingenuity of the world's businesses. We have committed to co-create initiatives with local NGOs across Europe and the Middle East, with the aim of providing skills and job training to enhance livelihoods, improve access to effective hygiene and support refugee's social integration. For example, in Germany, we are working with the Red Cross to offer refugees career coaching, while in Spain we are supporting the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid to deliver workshops on healthy cooking, self-esteem and diversity. This is bolstered by employees who contribute their skills and know-how.

Today in Europe, the team at Ben & Jerry's is also showing their support for refugees by kicking-off their 'Together for Refugees' campaign, in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC). It aims to mobilise fans to influence a historic piece of legislation - that could lead to expanded refugee resettlement in the EU - by emailing their representatives in Brussels. In both Europe and the US, Ben & Jerry's will use its digital channels to share IRC content, including a variety of ways people can help refugees.

Unilever also contributed to the B-Team's report entitled Refugees & Migrants - An Opportunity for Humanity. This outlines a clear and compelling case for business action, within companies and as part of the larger social movement, and also challenges companies to change the narrative on the refugee crisis - from challenge to opportunity - to help resolve the humanitarian crisis refugees face today.

Moving forward

Unilever will continue to support the needs of refugees by identifying sustainable routes to reduce poverty and improve their health and wellbeing - both of which will contribute to a better world and the success of our business. It is time we move from seeing refugees as a challenge to focusing on our responsibilities and the enormous opportunities they offer.

1 Source: Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2016 (PDF | 7MB), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

2 Source: Refugees Work: A Humanitarian Investment that Yields Economic Dividends (PDF | 4.2MB), Philippe Legrain (for the Tent Foundation), May 2016

[Editorial queries for this story should be sent to newswire@enpublishing.co.uk ]

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MailOnline

January 28, 2017 Saturday 6:17 PM GMT

Awkward moment Theresa May repeatedly REFUSES to condemn Donald Trump's anti-Muslim immigration policies - while the Turkish PM stood yards away is happy to put the boot in

BYLINE: REBECCA TAYLOR FOR MAILONLINE

SECTION: NEWS

LENGTH: 595 words

•

Theresa May was pressed on Donald Trump's anti-Muslim immigration policy
•

Trump has signed an order stopping refugees from seven Muslim majority countries
•

At a press conference with Turkish leader Binali Yildirim she said US policy was for them to decide and UK policy for its own
•

But Yildirim condemned the move and said walls will not help

Theresa May has repeatedly refused to condemn an order by President Donald Trump suspending refugee arrivals, saying America is responsible for its own refugee policy.

Trump has signed an executive order which stops refugees entering the US from all countries for 120 days, and from Syria indefinitely.

It has already led to the refusal of entry of an Iraqi refugee who worked as a translator for the U.S. Army for 10 years.

But at a news conference in Ankara, Prime Minister May said: 'The United States is responsible for the United States' policy on refugees. The United Kingdom is responsible for the United Kingdom's policy on refugees.

'And our policy on refugees is to have a number of voluntary schemes to bring Syrian refugees into the country, particularly those who are most vulnerable but also to provide significant financial contributions to support refugees in countries surrounding Syria.'

However Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim condemned the policy and said putting up walls would not help the refugee crisis.

On the same day May visited Washington for her first White House meeting with Trump to bolster the London-Washington relationship, the new president ordered a suspension of refugee arrivals.

He also imposed tough controls on travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

At a joint news conference with Yildirim, May had initially declined to be drawn into directly giving any comment on Trump's order.

Instead she praised Turkey for its hospitality in hosting some three million refugees from Syria and also Iraq.

Yildirim however offered implicit condemnation of Trump's move, saying throwing up walls will not solve the world's refugee problems.

'We cannot solve this refugee problem by putting up walls,' Yildirim said.

Trump's executive order specifically says no visas will be issued for 90 days to migrants or visitors from the seven Muslim-majority countries.

The order also puts a 120-day ban on all refugee entries into the country and declares that refugees from Syria are not welcome until further notice.

Yildirim insisted that with tens of millions of refugees worldwide, it was a problem which 'could not be ignored' but had to be solved with greater cooperation between countries.

'We opened our doors, and if they come again, we would take them again,' he said, adding: 'Regional problems cannot be solved by sweeping them under the carpet.'

The Turkish authorities say they are hosting some 2.7 million Syrian refugees who fled the country during the over six-year conflict and another 300,000 Iraqi refugees.

Yildirim added it would not be possible to make 'assessments on hearsay' with regard to Trump's order.

In a statement issued late Friday night after the suspension was announced, IRC President David Miliband said: 'America must remain true to its core values. America must remain a beacon of hope.'

The IRC statement declared that the U.S. vetting process for prospective refugees is already robust - involving biometric screening and up to 36 months of vetting by '12 to 15 government agencies.'

Miliband praised U.S.'s record as a resettlement destination and said: 'This is no time for America to turn its back on people ready to become patriotic Americans.'

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FinancialWire

June 20, 2017 Tuesday

Mastercard and Western Union Explore Digital Model for Refugee Camps;
Research indicates need to integrate access to goods, services and finances in digital format

LENGTH: 945 words

Purchase, NY and Englewood, CO -- With more than 65 million people around the world currently displaced from their homes due to political conflict and natural disasters, there is a growing need to find better ways for refugees to achieve self-sufficiency and become economic engines in their host countries.

On World Refugee Day, Mastercard and Western Union announced a collaboration to explore the development of a digital model to help refugees more easily access basic human goods, services and finances within refugee settlements. The aim is to enable refugees, their host communities and donors to send and receive funds digitally, allowing for more transparency and long-term empowerment of refugees.

Over the last year, Mastercard and Western Union examined the needs, challenges and opportunities for refugees and their host communities at two settlement camps in northwestern Kenya. The findings have led to the development of Smart Communities: Using Digital Technology to Create Sustainable Refugee Economies, a blueprint that would combine digital access to remittances, banking, education, healthcare and other basic needs in way that is unified and trackable.

"Today's camps were not built to sustain a global refugee crisis of this magnitude," said Tara Nathan, executive vice president of public-private partnerships at Mastercard. "Our plans to reinvent the existing model can help the world's refugee populations achieve self-sufficiency faster, while also contributing to the economic growth of their host communities."

"Refugees across the world want to be empowered to break the chains of dependence and to rebuild their lives in meaningful ways, while also contributing positively to their host communities," said Maureen Sigliano, head of customer relationship management at Western Union. "The new digital infrastructure model would focus on solutions that might include the delivery of mobile money, digital vouchers, prepaid cards, and track other goods and services. The goal is to drive personal empowerment, stimulate growth and promote social cohesion among the world's refugee populations, while driving better governance and transparency."

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that the average length of a refugee settlement dependency is approximately 26 years. Many of today's refugee camps founded in the 1960s and 70s, were built as a temporary solution and are unable to sustain today's systemic long-term dependence.

The qualitative research conducted at the Kakuma and Kalobeyei camps in Kenya uncovered the complexity of needs in the camps and the surrounding community. The Mastercard and Western Union blueprint would address these various needs by:

*Laying the groundwork for a set of multipurpose transactional tools that refugees and residents can access, which are optimized to work in low infrastructure areas. *Giving residents greater control over their livelihoods, well-being, and dignity, while providing agencies access to data that informs community planning and development. *Providing a digital platform which would serve as a unique identifier for both local and refugee populations, advancing the critical goals of social cohesion and cooperation across the settlement. *Encouraging adoption of digital payments as an entry point to the formal financial system and can be extended to incorporate a wider set of use cases.

Both Mastercard and Western Union are founding members of the Tent Partnership for Refugees, a coalition of more than 70 companies committed to addressing the global refugee crisis.

"The private sector is uniquely positioned to bring greater innovation and ingenuity to this crisis," said Gideon Maltz, executive director of Tent. "Today's announcement offers an exciting new approach to helping refugees, and reflects the contributions that companies can make when they identify problems, collaborate with each other, and work tirelessly to find and fund scalable solutions to fix them. It's our hope that initiatives such as these encourage even more companies and entrepreneurs to step up."

About Mastercard

Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world's fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities - such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances - easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

About Western Union

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. As of March 31, 2017, the Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined network of over 550,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories and over 150,000 ATMs and kiosks, and included the capability to send money to billions of accounts. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

Mastercard Communications Contact

Marisa.Grimes@mastercard.com; 914-325-8367

Western Union Communications Contact

Rachel Rogala, Rachel.rogala@wu.com; 720-332-2686

(Distributed by M2 Communications (www.m2.com))

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FinancialWire

June 20, 2017 Tuesday

A children's refugee crisis

LENGTH: 593 words

KAMPALA, Uganda -- As more than 1,000 children continue to flee South Sudan, on average every day in search of safety, the region's refugee crisis has become a children's crisis, UNICEF said today, on World Refugee Day.

Since violence erupted in South Sudan in December 2013, more than 1.8 million people have crossed into neighboring countries. In just one year the population of refugees in Uganda has more than doubled from 500,000 to more than 1.25 million, making Uganda now host to the fastest growing refugee emergency in the world.

"More than one million children have been forced from their homes in South Sudan, often amid horrific violence," said UNICEF's Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Leila Pakkala. "Day after day, week after week, they are being received by countries such as Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya. Despite great efforts on many fronts, the systems in these countries are tremendously stretched."

Ahead of Uganda's International Solidarity Summit on Refugees (June 22-23), UNICEF noted that 86% of all refugees in Uganda are women and children. Indeed, Uganda is now Africa's leading refugee-hosting country, having jumped from the eighth largest refugee-hosting country in the world in mid-2016 to the third largest today, after Turkey and Pakistan.

The Government of Uganda, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP and other humanitarian partners on the ground are working tirelessly to respond to the more than 740,000 refugees who have arrived in Uganda since July 2016. Such dramatic numbers are placing excessive pressure on State and host community resources, especially social services that are critical to children's well-being.

"The Ugandan Government has a progressive and generous open door policy to refugees," said UNICEF's Ms Pakkala. "This approach provides better prospects for refugee children in Uganda than in many contexts globally. The very real hope is that such a model is supported widely across countries."

The Government of Uganda and the United Nations are appealing for $ 8 billion in funding for both emergency response and resilience interventions to Uganda's refugee and refugee-hosting population over the next four years. Within this appeal, UNICEF in Uganda requires nearly $ 50 million in 2017 as well as $ 30 million in each year from 2018-2020 to provide critical health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education, early childhood development, adolescent development, and child protection interventions, to both refugee and host community children.

For Ethiopia and Kenya, as part of their Humanitarian Action for Children's Appeal for Ethiopia and Kenya, UNICEF requires $ 13.6 million to respond to the new influx of South Sudanese refugees in the Gambella Region of Ethiopia, and $ 7.3 million for the refugee response in Kenya.

On World Refugee Day, UNICEF is also reiterating its call to governments to adopt its six-point agenda for action to protect refugee and migrant children and ensure their well-being, which was launched ahead of the G7 Summit in Italy in late May.

While refugee children in Uganda enjoy the full existing legal, physical and social protection system as the host population and use the same social services as them, UNICEF said more must be done to fully operationalize this agenda for action across the region, especially keeping families together, helping all uprooted children stay in school and stay healthy, and acting on the causes that force children to flee in the first place.

Distributed by APO on behalf of UNICEF Uganda.

(Distributed by M2 Communications (www.m2.com))

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The Independent (United Kingdom)

March 10, 2017 Friday 12:50 AM GMT

Refugees applying to live in UK face being sent home after five years under new Home Office rules;
Changes criticised for causing'bureaucratic and unnecessary nightmare' for people wanting to remain in Britain

BYLINE: Ben Kentish

SECTION: HOME NEWS; Version:12

LENGTH: 587 words

Refugees applying to stay in the UK could be sent home after five years under new Home Office guidelines that came into force on Tuesday.

Tens of thousands of people who have been granted refugee status will have to undergo an official review five years after they enter Britain to determine whether they can safely be sent back to their home countries.

Those that are deemed to be at low risk of persecution in their country of origin are likely to be banned from working and subsequently deported.

Government votes down plan to rescue more child refugees

The change was promised by Theresa May when she was Home Secretary but has only now been implemented.

In her speech to the 2015 Conservative party conference, Ms May said: "We'll introduce strengthened 'safe return reviews' - so when a refugee's temporary stay of protection in the UK comes to an end, or if there is a clear improvement in the conditions of their own country, we will review their need for protection.

"If their reason for asylum no longer stands and it is now safe for them to return, we will seek to return them to their home country rather than offer settlement here in Britain."

The new checks will apply to all refugees who apply to remain in the country after their initial five-year probationary period expires.

Previously, refugees were given an automatic right to stay in the UK once they reached the end of the initial period for which they had been granted residency rights. The only exceptions were if an individual had committed a criminal offence or if ministers decided an entire country was safe for refugees to return to.

The change is expected to mean the 59,000 refugees granted entry to Britain in the last five years will all now face a "safe country review" if they want to remain in the UK.

The Home Office said the changes were required to "maintain a fair immigration system".

"The policy is designed to meet our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and EU law by granting refugee status and an appropriate period of leave to those who need our protection", it said on its website.

"To maintain a fair immigration system that requires all migrants, including those granted refugee status, to earn the right to settlement, and all the benefits that come with it, by completing an appropriate period of limited leave."

UN attacks Europe's 'chilling indifference' to refugees

Government policy on child refugees ignores evidence, charities warn

Labour peer has taken in Syrian refugee after visiting Calais jungle

Syrian refugee falsely labelled terrorist on Facebook loses case

Reforms are needed "to ensure that safe return reviews are carried out so that protection is provided for as long as it is needed, but make clear that those who no longer need protection will need to apply to stay on another basis or leave the UK", it added.

Charities condemned the changes, saying they were unnecessary and would create needless stress for refugees.

"This policy will result in refugees who have demonstrated their need for protection being prevented from being able to properly rebuild their lives and being left with the constant fear of return hanging over their heads", Dr Lisa Doyle, of the Refugee Council,

told

The Guardian

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FinancialWire

March 23, 2017 Thursday

Kenya: Protect Somalis Facing Conflict, Abuses, Drought

LENGTH: 1249 words

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Kenya should protect and assist Somali refugees and asylum seekers facing ongoing conflict and a humanitarian crisis in Somalia, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said today. In line with a recent High Court decision, the authorities should abandon their decision to close the Dadaab refugee camp and publicly declare that the more than 249,000 Somali refugees living there can remain in Kenya until conditions exist for them to return in safety and with dignity.

On March 24-25, 2017, Kenya will host an Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) summit that will bring together Eastern African heads of state to discuss the situation of Somali refugees in the region, as the threat of pervasive drought and food insecurity in Somalia looms. Kenya's role as host is marred by its continued insistence on closing Dadaab refugee camp, host to over 249,000 Somali refugees, by May.

"Kenya should demonstrate leadership by declaring that Dadaab will remain open and that it will resume prima facie recognition of Somali refugees," said Bill Frelick, refugee rights director at Human Rights Watch. "Kenya and neighboring Eastern African countries, supported by international partners, should urgently assist and protect refugees facing continuing conflict and drought in Somalia."

In May 2016, the Kenyan government removed prima facie refugee status - meaning recognizing refugee status based simply on nationality - for Somalis and disbanded its Department of Refugee Affairs, charged with processing asylum claims. It also announced plans to speed up the repatriation of Somali refugees, and to close Dadaab camp in north-eastern Kenya by November, subsequently extended to May.

On February 9, Kenya's High Court ruled that the government's May 2016 directives were unconstitutional and discriminated against Somalis. The High Court also ordered the Kenyan government to restore the administration of refugee affairs to the status quo prior to the government's decision. The Kenyan government has not taken steps to carry out the ruling. On March 8, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya repeated that Kenya's decision to close Dadaab camp was final.

In 2016, Kenyan authorities, with officials from the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, stepped up a 2013 "voluntary" repatriation program. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International research in Dadaab and interviews with more than 100 Somali refugees found that Kenya had not given them a real choice between continuing to receive asylum in Kenya and returning to Somalia, and that the program violated the international principle of non-refoulement - forced return of people to places where they would face persecution, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, or other threats to their lives or freedom - which is binding on Kenya as party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1969 African Union Refugee Convention.

Registration of refugees in Dadaab has been sporadic since 2011 and has been entirely suspended, with some exceptions, since August 2015. In 2016, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International spoke to many unregistered people in Dadaab, including new arrivals and people who had already returned under the repatriation program but then fled back to Dadaab. The people interviewed said they feel particularly vulnerable both due to their lack of legal status and because of their lack of access to food rations. Most recently, in mid-March, over 100 Somali refugees and asylum seekers were arrested in a security operation in Dadaab. According to a refugee agency, those with refugee documentation were released, while 28 Somali asylum seekers were charged with unlawful presence.

Under Kenya's Refugee Act, the Commissioner of Refugee Affairs must recognize people as refugees if they meet the definition of the 1969 African Union Refugee Convention. The African Union definition includes people fleeing events seriously disturbing public order.

The lack of sufficient international support for Kenya, including through consistently underfunded UN humanitarian appeals and very limited refugee resettlement, has contributed to the appalling situation in Dadaab, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said. The World Food Program has repeatedly cut food rations to people in Dadaab due to funding shortfalls. The most recent cut, in December, reduced rations by 50 percent. Refugees interviewed by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in 2016 who had signed up to return to Somalia often cited the ration cuts as a factor influencing their decision to return, and to accept a one-time UNHCR repatriation package - despite fears for their security and survival in Somalia.

UNHCR's own assessments indicate that conditions in south-central Somalia are not conducive to mass refugee returns due to ongoing conflict, insecurity, and humanitarian conditions. In May 2016 UNHCR's guidelines on returns to Somalia found that: "Civilians continue to be severely affected by the conflict, with reports of civilians being killed and injured in conflict-related violence, widespread sexual and gender-based violence against women and children, forced recruitment of children, and large-scale displacement."

The humanitarian situation remains dire. According to the UN, half of Somalia's population - 6.2 million out of 12.3 million people - are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. Many of the communities affected by the 2011 famine are once again at risk.

More than 260,000 people have been displaced by the drought within Somalia since November, adding to the country's 1.1 million internally displaced people, who live in deplorable and unsafe informal displacement camps in the country's main towns. Most of those recently displaced in south-central Somalia have fled into Baidoa and Mogadishu, among the areas to which UNHCR is facilitating returns from Dadaab. The UN has also recorded an increase in displacement into neighboring Ethiopia, which currently hosts 245,500 registered Somali refugees. So far, contrary to the period leading up to the 2011 famine, very little movement into Kenya has been recorded.

According to UN data on returns, over half of those returning from Dadaab to Somalia said they would not return to their areas of origin. Returning refugees, especially those unable to return to their home areas or those who have been gone for many years, risk ending up internally displaced in Somalia, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, among others, have continued to document serious abuses against internally displaced communities in Somalia at the hands of government and non-state actors, including sexual violence and violent forced evictions from their temporary shelters. According to a UN monitoring network, forced evictions increased in late 2016, with more than 60,000 new evictions since November alone.

"Given the ongoing drought and security crisis in Somalia, it's high time Kenya's international partners help to ensure that Somalis can find safety and humanitarian assistance in neighboring countries," said Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty International. "International community and donor countries should guarantee adequate technical and financial support to the Kenyan government and civil society to come up with sustainable, long term durable solutions for refugee integration into the country.

Distributed by APO on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).

(Distributed by M2 Communications (www.m2.com))

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ENP Newswire

June 21, 2017 Wednesday

-APO-World Refugee Day: Constrained resources for nearly a million refugees in Uganda

LENGTH: 816 words

The country currently hosts 950,562 refugees and receives about 2,000 new arrivals every day, the vast majority of them fleeing violence in South Sudan.

The international response in Uganda is failing refugees and must prioritise life-saving supplies such as food and water to prevent a medical emergency, the international medical humanitarian organisation Doctors without Borders (MSF) said today ahead of a major refugee summit.

Governments and international organisations are meeting in Kampala on 22 and 23 June to raise funds for Uganda's refugee response. The country currently hosts 950,562 refugees and receives about 2,000 new arrivals every day, the vast majority of them fleeing violence in South Sudan. Uganda is a pilot country for the UNHCR-led Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), which aims to improve the situation of refugees and host communities through increasing self-reliance and enhancing cooperation between the UNHCR, governments, NGOs, and other actors.

Governments and international organisations are meeting in Kampala on 22 and 23 June to raise funds for Uganda's refugee response

Inadequate resources, coupled with poor water and sanitation conditions and a shortage of food rations, could quickly turn the situation into a medical emergency. In Palorinya, 80 percent of the population is 100 percent dependent on water treated by MSF, which is unsustainable. 'Currently the most basic needs of refugees are not being met,' says Tara Newell, MSF's operations manager for Uganda. Even though we are pumping and treating record amounts of water in Palorinya, it's always only just barely enough for the population.' The majority of refugees who live in settlements without water plants and who rely on a handful of boreholes and water trucks get seven litres per person per day. Access to water in the settlements is dependent on water trucking, a hugely expensive system often derailed by poor road conditions. 'Without a longer term and more cost-effective solution, people's ability to cope, as well as their health, will deteriorate,' says Newell.

Following 50 percent cuts to the monthly food rations distributed by the World Food Programme, the number of people critically short of food in the settlements is also a major concern. MSF is seeing refugees registering in multiple settlements because they are desperate for food rations and water, and there are reports of inconsistent or incomplete core relief items distributions in the settlements. Refugees have cited food insecurity as a major concern and have even prompted some to return to South Sudan. 'I'd rather get shot in South Sudan than starve in Uganda,' one refugee told MSF staff. Teams have also heard stories of refugees who returned to South Sudan because of a lack of food in Uganda, only to be killed. 'Refugees are being put in an unimaginable position - to go without food and water, or risk their lives in a conflict just so they can eat,' says Dr. Leon Salumu, MSF program manager.

Keeping pace with the growing refugee population is proving impossible and the Ugandan Government is increasingly stretched. Some refugees have been moved to sites far away from water sources or cultivatable land, such as the Ofua zone in the western part of Rhino settlement. Better site planning, which maximizes access to services such as water, sanitation and healthcare, is needed to ensure the basic needs of refugees are met.

Health interventions have also been complicated by the time-consuming nature of regular importation procedures for medical supplies. For example, for two months this year, MSF was unable to offer safe deliveries, or treat eye and skin diseases, two common morbidities in the settlements, because of the lengthy bureaucratic requirements for importing medical supplies. MSF requests the Government of Uganda expedite pending importation requests and to fast-track medical importations for emergency health kits and medical supplies to facilitate a scale-up of the emergency medical response.

Uganda is now the largest host of refugees in Africa, taking in more than triple the amount of people who arrived in Europe by sea in 2016. Many countries have shamefully introduced restrictive migration policies and sought to limit the arrival of refugees at their borders, promising instead to support refugees closer to their country of origin. Yet they have not delivered on this promise - the Uganda refugee response is only 17 percent funded. 'The international community has failed to help resolve the conflict in South Sudan and is now failing to adequately help South Sudanese refugees in the region,' says Salumu. 'The international community needs to step up to its obligations and rethink the ways services are delivered to refugees spread out across such vast geographical distances.'

[Editorial queries for this story should be sent to newswire@enpublishing.co.uk ]

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The Guardian(London)

February 13, 2017 Monday 11:35 AM GMT

UN accused of failing Afghan refugees 'forced' to return home from Pakistan;
UNHCR cites behind-scenes advocacy after rights group claims it has left Afghan refugees at risk of persecution by failing to condemn 'campaign of abuse'

BYLINE: Sune Engel Rasmussen in Kabul

SECTION: GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

LENGTH: 1010 words

The UN refugee agency has fallen short of its mandate to protect refugees by failing to denounce a "campaign of abuse" by Pakistan that has ushered thousands of Afghans out of the country, leaving them at risk of persecution at home, according to Human Rights Watch.

Last year the Pakistani government ordered all Afghan migrants and refugees to leave the country, mounting a campaign of intimidation, according to HRW, that has so far led to the eviction of nearly 600,000 people since July.

Related: Exiled from Pakistan, destitute Afghans return to a country at war

Afghans in Pakistan constitute one of the world's largest refugee communities, housing until recently an estimated 1.5 million registered and 1 million unregistered Afghan refugees. Many are second- or third-generation refugees with little connection to Afghanistan.

After the Pakistani government last year ordered all Afghan migrants and refugees to leave, authorities began raiding their homes and shops. On a recent trip to the border, the Guardian heard stories of police harassment and arbitrary arrests and of landlords cancelling leases. There were also reports of communities that had housed refugees for decades suddenly turning against Afghan families.

By not denouncing the mass eviction as refoulement - the return of refugees to a country where they have reason to fear persecution - HRW said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had failed in its duty to protect refugees.

By failing to accurately inform of the conditions awaiting returnees in Afghanistan, and handing out $400 (£320) cash grants to each returning registered refugee between June and December last year, the agency "effectively promoted the forced return", HRW added.

"The UN refugee agency should end the fiction that the mass forced return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan is, in fact, mass voluntary return," said the report.

Patricia Gossman, senior researcher HRW, added: "UNHCR's essential mandate is protection."

A spokeswoman for the refugee agency, Ariane Rummery, said: "UNHCR has been raising concerns about the pressures on Afghans." She emphasised the complexity of the factors driving the situation, which she said included Pakistani security operations, economic hardship and a campaign by the Afghan government to encourage Afghans in Pakistan to return home.

She said that UNHCR "advocates for an improvement in the protection environment for Afghans in Pakistan", and pointed out that Pakistan recently extended the deadline for Afghans in that country to leave until the end of 2017.

"It is not UNHCR's opinion that the situation can be characterised as refoulement, but there is no question Afghan refugees are having to make tough decisions on where they can find more reliable and predictable protection at this time," Rummery said.

"We call on the international community and the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to ensure that refugee repatriation is voluntary, gradual and aligned with development programmes as well as efforts to bolster peace and security."

Laurence Hart, chief of mission in Afghanistan for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), said it was unfair to point fingers at the UNHCR in failing to stand up to Pakistan's conduct.

"They have certainly made, along with other actors, a lot of advocacy but perhaps it wasn't public," he said. "International agencies need to preserve their operational space in Pakistan and being too public in their statements could jeopardise this space."

But other organisations agreed with HRW's criticism.

"We have a situation now in which UNHCR is clearly facilitating a return of refugees that appears involuntary, and this is against the core principle of refugee law," said William Carter, head of programme with the Norwegian Refugee Council.

He added that the organisation had tried without success to convince the UNHCR to change approach. "Unfortunately UNHCR remained intransigent," Carter said.

After a hiatus over winter, the UNHCR plans to resume cash support to returnees in March, but critics say a different solution is needed.

Approximately 40% of the 600,000 returnees are not documented refugees. They do not receive UNCHR cash grants, which in the case of large families can add up to several thousand dollars.

"I think the main issue is that response to returnees, being undocumented or registered refugees, remains unbalanced notwithstanding the similar vulnerable situation they find themselves in," said Hart. "It would be important to move from a status-based approach to a need-based one, so that inequities are avoided," he said.

The NRC insisted that cash grants be abolished completely for now.

"Clearly, the UNHCR should not resume its repatriation programme until we are sure that refugees are returning voluntarily," Carter said. "The Afghan government needs to give itself enough time to put in place realistic plans and finances to provide durable solutions for returnees."

Most returning Afghans settle in the poor eastern province of Nangarhar or in the capital, Kabul.

"Obviously, when these people come to the country they become very vulnerable," said Timor Sharan, Afghanistan analyst with the International Crisis Group. "They settle around urban centres, which may be relatively safe, but what essentially happens is it cuts them off from communities they belong to."

Returnees sometimes resort to extreme methods to cope.

During her six years in Punjab in Pakistan, Daryan Begam had a stable life. She helped support her four children, including a disabled daughter, by sewing footballs. But a year ago, shortly after her husband died, authorities began pressuring her until she left. To pay rent in her new house in Nangarhar, the widow said she had to marry off her daughter, who is 15, to a local police chief.

"My daughters don't have a father so we have no provider at home. It is not easy for a mother to marry her daughter off at a young age, but I had no choice," Begam said.

Additional reporting by Nargis Ehsan

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thetimes.co.uk

April 23, 2017 Sunday 12:01 AM GMT

Books: Refuge: Transforming a Broken Refugee System by Alexander Betts and Paul Collier;
Two experts propose a fresh approach to one of the defining crises of our time

BYLINE: Review by Justin Marozzi

SECTION: CULTURE; Version:1

LENGTH: 896 words

The situation is little better in the eastern Mediterranean, where the implosion of Syria has created a refugee crisis of catastrophic proportions. Approximately 11m Syrians, almost half that country's population, have been forced to flee their homes.

Worldwide, the total figure for displaced people is more than 65m, of whom 21m are defined as refugees. Half of these are languishing in refugee camps for an average of 10 years, waiting for peace in their homeland. All come from what are euphemistically designated "fragile" countries. Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia account for more than half of the world's refugees.

The central argument of Refuge is that the world's refugee system, designed in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War to cope with millions of refugees moving across Europe, is no longer fit for purpose. Established in the late 1940s, the underfunded UN High Commissioner for Refugees - backed by the 1951 Geneva convention on refugees that focused on individual persecution, rather than the conflict, disorder and state collapse that are today's drivers of refugees - simply cannot cope.

pullquoteRadical policy changes can bring swift benefits

So much for the statistics and diagnosis. What about a route out of this inferno of human suffering? Alexander Betts, a refugee expert at Oxford University, and Paul Collier, an economist, development expert and sometime advisor to British prime ministers, place their emphasis on "pragmatic operational changes on the ground rather than the negotiation of lofty, abstract principles". In other words, they do rather more than wring their hands and plead with the international community to stop wars, fight corruption and lift the world's poor out of poverty.

Evidence is emerging that this radical policy change can bring swift, tangible benefits. Uganda, which hosts more than 500,000 refugees and is almost alone in permitting them to work, is one of the more imaginative and progressive examples. In the capital, Kampala, a recent study commissioned by Betts's refugee study centre found that 21% of refugees ran job-creating businesses, with 40% of their employees coming from the host country. This is a world away, in practice and principle, from the typical, autonomy-stripping refugee camps of Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon.

There are some encouraging signs that policy makers are listening to this argument. After an invitation to visit Jordan's sprawling Zaatari camp, with its bustling main market street known as the Shams-Elysées, Betts and Collier went to see a £100m development zone lying almost empty just 15 minutes away. That led to a pilot project, supported by the king of Jordan, David Cameron and the World Bank, to create 200,000 jobs for Syrian refugees. Yes, there are risks of exploitation by foreign multinationals, yes there are problems with special economic zones, but it takes a peculiarly dim critic to reject this new approach in favour of the systematic immiseration of a refugee system that prohibits employment.

Supporting refugees in the neighbouring countries in which they have sought refuge is sensible policy, not the moral dodge its opponents lazily suggest. Of the millions of Syrian refugees, 78% are shared between Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. This is where the problem, and the solutions to it, must ultimately lie, funded much more generously by the world's richest nations. The refugees' present options of "encampment, urban destitution, perilous journey" are shamefully inadequate.

Betts and Collier remind us, in an analysis that is at once compassionate and dispassionate, and full of bold and innovative thinking, that it is just as possible to be soft-hearted and wrong as hard-headed and right. They give short shrift, for instance, to Angela Merkel's open-door policy on Syrian refugees, which has had desperately negative consequences. At a stroke, the German chancellor's "headless heart" policy tore up the EU's Dublin Agreement, under which refugees were bound to apply for asylum in the first EU country they reached, emboldened Bashar al-Assad, precipitated a mass exodus of Syria's most educated population, and gave a shot in the arm both to people smugglers and Europe's far right, not to mention those campaigning for Brexit.

As they say, no good deed goes unpunished. Allen Lane £20 pp288Read the first chapter on the Sunday Times website

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FinancialWire

May 8, 2017 Monday

UN migration agency transports hundreds of South Sudanese refugees from border into Ethiopia

LENGTH: 503 words

The United Nations migration agency has begun transferring South Sudanese refugees from Ethiopia's Pagak border entry point in Gambella to the Gore-Shembola refugee camp in Benishangul Gumuz Regional States - approximately 835 kilometres away.

"IOM [International Organization for Migration] has set up two way stations, one at Metu [275 km from the Pagak entry point] and the other at Gimbi [310 km from Metu]," said Anezier Ebrahim, IOM Officer in charge of the operation, explaining the route taken to reach Gore-Shembola refugee camp in a press release announcing the effort, which began on 1 May.

"The way stations have been constructed with the financial assistance of the United Kingdom Department for International Development and provide overnight accommodation, shelter and meals for refugees in transit from the border entry point to the camp," he continued.

With recent fighting and severe food insecurity further worsening the already dismal humanitarian situation in South Sudan, an additional 30,000 refugees are expected to enter Gambella over the coming months, according to IOM. Refugee camps in Gambella, one of Ethiopia's least developed regions, are currently at maximum capacity with the total number of South Sudanese refugees surpassing that of the local population.

In collaboration with the Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs and the Office of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), IOM carried out an assessment of the potential route from Pagak border entry point to Gore-Shembola refugee camp in Benishangul, to ensure the safe and dignified migration of the refugees.

Prior to relocation, IOM provided pre-departure medical screenings to ensure that refugees are fit for travel, referring those who present medical concerns to local health facilities. IOM is also working in coordination with Plan International to provide psychosocial support and protection services for unaccompanied minors.

Nyakim and her four children are among the 365 refugees who were transferred to Gore-Shembola refugee camp in Benishangul this week. The struggles of the journey to reach Ethiopia are clearly visible - all of her children suffer from skin rashes and a cough.

"The journey from Jonglei to Pagak has been really difficult. We have walked for six days straight and my children and I have eaten only wild fruit from the forest," Nyakim said.

Renewed fighting led her to make the perilous journey for the safety of her children, leaving her husband behind.

IOM worked in collaboration with Action for the Needy in Ethiopia (ANE) for way station site preparations and the provision of latrines, showers and water.

"Continued transportation assistance is urgently required to ensure newly arrived refugees' access to basic services in the camps." added Mr. Ebrahim, with the reminder that IOM remains committed to assist refugees with transportation from Pagak border entry point to Gore-Shembola refugee camp in the coming months.

(Distributed by M2 Communications (www.m2.com))

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ENP Newswire

May 16, 2017 Tuesday

-APO-Over US$ 1.4 Billion Needed for South Sudan Refugees in 2017

LENGTH: 625 words

South Sudan has now become the world's fastest growing refugee crisis with more than 1.8 million refugees - including one million children.

The UN Refugee Agency and the World Food Programme today urged donors to step up support for desperate refugees fleeing South Sudan. Humanitarian agencies are seeking USD 1.4 Billion to provide life-saving aid to South Sudanese refugees in the six neighbouring countries until the end of 2017 - according to an updated response plan presented in Geneva on Monday.

The South Sudanese refugee response plan so far remains only 14 per cent funded.

'Bitter conflict and deteriorating humanitarian conditions in South Sudan are driving people from their homes in record numbers,' said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.

The situation in South Sudan continues to worsen - with a combination of conflict, drought and famine leading to further displacement and a rapid exodus of people fleeing one of the world's most severe crises.

'The suffering of the South Sudanese people is just unimaginable' said WFP Executive Director David Beasley. 'They are close to the abyss. Violence is at the root of this crisis. Aid workers often cannot reach the most vulnerable hungry people. Many are dying from hunger and disease, many more have fled their homeland for safety abroad.'

South Sudan has now become the world's fastest growing refugee crisis with more than 1.8 million refugees - including one million children, having sought safety in Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, DRC and CAR.

The current rate of people fleeing South Sudan exceeds the humanitarian community's already pessimistic estimates. For example, the number of people fleeing to Sudan in March surpassed the expected figure for the entire year. Uganda is also seeing higher than expected arrivals and at this rate is likely to soon host over one million South Sudanese refugees.

The South Sudanese refugee response plan so far remains only 14 per cent funded

'Our funding situation forced us to cut food rations for many refugees in Uganda,' Beasley said. 'I find that unacceptable, and I hope you do too. These are families like yours and mine, our brothers and sisters, and the world must help them now-not later. Please help us do the job these people need us to do.'

UNHCR welcomed the outstanding generosity refugees have received in South Sudan's neighbouring countries, but is alarmed by a situation which is now critical.

'Countries like Uganda have done all one could expect, but won't be able to sustain support for refugees unless the rest of the world steps up,' warned UNHCR's Grandi while presenting the revised needs to donors in Geneva.

With acute underfunding, humanitarian agencies are struggling to provide food, water, nutrition support, shelter and health services to refugees.

Communities hosting refugees are among the world's poorest and are under immense pressure.

'Helping refugees is not just about providing emergency aid,' said UNHCR's Grandi. 'It also means supporting governments and communities in neighbouring countries to shore up services and economies in the areas receiving them.'

UNHCR coordinates the overall response with Governments, humanitarian agencies as well as with refugees and host communities. Currently Uganda hosts some 898,000 refugees, with 375,000 in Sudan, 375,000 in Ethiopia, 97,000 in Kenya, 76,000 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and 2,200 in Central African Republic (CAR).

WFP provides food and cash assistance to more than 1.8 million refugees in the neighbouring countries.

The updated response plan does not cover humanitarian needs of around two million people displaced internally in South Sudan.

[Editorial queries for this story should be sent to newswire@enpublishing.co.uk ]

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The Independent - Daily Edition

April 27, 2017 Thursday
First Edition

Charities demand Home Office scraps 'devastating' new refugee policy

BYLINE: MAY BULMAN

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 12

LENGTH: 1088 words

A new refugee policy the Government quietly introduced last month will have a "devastating" impact on the mental health of those who have sought to make a new life in the UK, charities have warned. An open letter signed by 50 organisations working with refugees calls on the Home Office to reverse the new policy, which they say aims to prevent refugees from integrating and introduces an "additional layer of bureaucracy, uncertainty, and evaluation at the hands of a dispassionate state".

New guidance issued by the Home Office means that people who are granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK will now have to undergo a "safe return review" after five years, meaning the Home Office will assess whether they can return people to the countries they have fled from before they apply for permanent settlement.

The charities that signed the letter, which include Right to Remain and Migrant Rights Network, say the policy "undermines" the promise of stability and security that should come with being granted refugee status in Britain, and that it "violates the state's obligation to provide sanctuary and refuge to those it has granted the right to remain". They proceed to urge that the policy be "immediately reversed" due to the "societal and financial costs" it brings with it, warning that it is part of a "worrying trend" to weaken the concept of a refugee and to make the UK a "hostile environment" for migrants.

The letter states: "The awarding of refugee status should bring with it the promise of stability and security. It is a chance to build a new home, to study or work, to become a part of the community. The Home Office's decision to review every application at the end of the five years to see if their home country is 'safe' undermines this promise, bringing with it the threat of deportation. The announcement that those who have already been granted full rights as refugees will later have that decision reviewed violates the state's obligation to provide sanctuary and refuge to those it has granted the right to remain. This move is part of a worrying trend to weaken the concept of a refugee and to make the UK a 'hostile environment' for migrants. We call on the Home Office to reverse this decision. When a refugee's claim has been recognised, they should be given permanent residency."

When informed of the new policy, Makhosi Sigabade, a refugee living in the UK, said: "After being given a false sense of hope and stability I am being made to relive the nightmares of my past. I am now confronted with a possibility of going back to face the same persecution from which I fled. The system is meant to protect people seeking sanctuary but threatens to expose them to the dangers they flee."

Luke Butterly, of the Participation and Practice of Rights, a small human rights charity in Belfast, said the changes were likely to bring "great instability" to the lives of refugees, affecting their mental health as well as employment prospects. "Before, once you made the insanely difficult journey to the UK and went through the asylum process, you were here for life, but now Amber Rudd has put a time limit on this. They've said 'You can stay here for five years, but after that, who knows?'" Mr Butterly told The Independent. "The communities here in the asylum process in Northern Ireland are very concerned about this because of the great instability in people's lives it will bring. It will have a detrimental effect on mental health, as well as job prospects, with potential employers not knowing if they'll be here in two years' time."

Mr Butterly added that as well as being angry about the principle of introducing a "safe return review" after five years, there were concerns over the way it would be implemented in practice. "At the moment, the Home Office often gets cases wrong - about a third of asylum claims are overturned in the appeals process. The guidance on the safety of countries is often widely inaccurate. We don't know how this policy will be applied in practice, but given the practices of the Home Office we are extremely anxious about it," he said.

Forward Maisokwadzo, of City of Sanctuary, which supports people seeking asylum in the UK, meanwhile, said: "These are worrying times for refugees and within us the City of Sanctuary movement. This is so, because the proposed 'inhuman' policy is a direct threat to the basic human rights. City of Sanctuary hold the vision that [the UK and Ireland] will be a welcoming place of safety for all and proud to offer sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution. We appeal to Home Secretary Amber Rudd to do the honourable thing and listen carefully to all evidence put forward against this 'restrictive' policy and exercise compassion by ensuring refugee rights are protected."

The UNHCR has condemned the new policy, saying it could have a "serious impact on the wellbeing of refugees, their ability to settle and be in long-term employment", and that it will create a "source of anxiety" for refugees by "putting their lives on hold", as well as putting additional strain on the Government's resources. Laura Padoan, spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency, said: "We are concerned that the UK's approach to active reviews of refugee status could have a serious impact on the wellbeing of refugees, their ability to settle and be in long-term employment. We know that it is a source of anxiety for many refugees, creating a sense that their lives are on hold. We feel that it's not needed, because under British and international law, there are already mechanisms to review and cease refugee status where appropriate. It will also clearly put an additional strain on the Government's resources. Refugees are people who have fled violence and persecution and are in need protection and stability. Refugee status is temporary, but what refugees need is an enduring sense of safety so they can make a positive contribution to their new communities."

It comes days after the Westminster All-Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees highlighted concerns about the change and called for it to be scrapped, and warned that refugees were being consigned to hunger and homelessness immediately after they are granted asylum. The research showed that Government policies were creating a costly "two-tier system" of refugee protection, with those who entered the country on Government-led resettlement schemes generally provided for, but others often being left homeless and destitute - damaging their prospects of integration.

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The Independent (United Kingdom)

April 26, 2017 Wednesday 1:00 PM GMT

Charities demand Government scraps 'devastating' new refugee policy;
New guidance to review refugees'cases five years after they are granted status 'violates the state's obligation to provide sanctuary to those it has granted the right to remain,' charities warn

BYLINE: May Bulman

SECTION: HOME NEWS; Version:3

LENGTH: 1144 words

A new refugee policy the Government quietly introduced last month will have a "devastating" impact on the mental health of those who have sought to make a new life in the UK, charities have warned.

An open letter signed by 50 organisations working with refugees calls on the Home Office to reverse the new policy, which they said aims to prevent refugees from integrating and introduces an "additional layer of bureaucracy, uncertainty, and evaluation at the hands of a dispassionate state".

New guidance quietly issued by the Home Office in March means that people who are granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK will now have to undergo a "safe return review" after five years, meaning the Home Office will assess whether they can return people to the countries they have fled from before they apply for permanent settlement.

G4S warns asylum seekers 'behave or be deported'

Thousands of asylum seekers and migrants wrongly denied NHS healthcare

Refugees face homelessness immediately getting asylum, report finds

They proceed to urge that the policy be "immediately reversed" due to the "societal and financial costs" it brings with it, warning that it is part of a "worrying trend" to weaken the concept of a refugee and to make the UK a "hostile environment" for migrants.

"The announcement that those who have already been granted full rights as refugees will later have that decision reviewed violates the state's obligation to provide sanctuary and refuge to those it has granted the right to remain.

"This move is part of a worrying trend to weaken the concept of a refugee and to make the UK a 'hostile environment' for migrants. We call on the Home Office to reverse this decision. When a refugee's claim has been recognised, they should be given permanent residency."

G4S warns asylum seekers 'behave or be deported'

"The system is meant to protect people seeking sanctuary but threatens to expose them to the dangers they flee."

"Before, once you made the insanely difficult journey to the UK and went through the asylum process, you were here for life, but now Amber Rudd has put a time limit on this. They've said 'You can stay here for five years, but after that, who knows?'" Mr Butterly told

The Independent.

"The communities here in the asylum process in Northern Ireland are very concerned about this because of the great instability in people's lives it will bring. It will have a detrimental effect on mental health, as well as job prospects, with potential employers not knowing if they'll be here in two years' time."

Mr Butterly added that as well as being angry about the principle of introducing a "safe return review" after five years, there were concerns over the way it would be implemented in practice.

"At the moment, the Home Office often gets cases wrong - about a third of asylum claims are overturned in the appeals process. The guidance on the safety of countries is often widely inaccurate. We don't know how this policy will be applied in practice, but given the practices of the Home Office we are extremely anxious about it," he said.

"City of Sanctuary hold the vision that (the UK and Ireland) will be a welcoming place of safety for all and proud to offer sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution. We appeal to Home Secretary Amber Rudd to do the honourable thing and listen carefully to all evidence put forward against this 'restrictive' policy and exercise compassion by ensuring refugee rights are protected."

Refugees face homelessness immediately getting asylum, report finds

Laura Padoan, spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency, said: "We are concerned that the UK's approach to active reviews of refugee status could have a serious impact on the wellbeing of refugees, their ability to settle and be in long-term employment. We know that it is a source of anxiety for many refugees, creating a sense that their lives are on hold.

"We feel that it's not needed, because under British and international law, there are already mechanisms to review and cease refugee status where appropriate. It will also clearly put an additional strain on the Government's resources.

"Refugees are people who have fled violence and persecution and are in need protection and stability. Refugee status is temporary, but what refugees need is an enduring sense of safety so they can make a positive contribution to their new communities."

The research showed that Government policies were creating a costly "two-tier system" of refugee protection, with those who entered the country on Government-led resettlement schemes generally provided for, but others often being left homeless and destitute - damaging their prospects of integration.

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Express Online

January 28, 2017 Saturday 3:01 PM GMT

'So now ISIS will hate us?' TV host stumps migration expert during car-crash interview

BYLINE: Oli Smith

LENGTH: 641 words

FOX NEWS host Tucker Carlson destroyed a prominent migrant campaigner during a heated on-air debate following Donald Trump's decision to suspend the US refugee programme.

Kevin Appleby, a migrant advocate, was left squirming during the car-crash interview as he desperately tried to defend the merits of the refugee influx.

The heated on-air spat comes after Donald Trump officially suspended the US refugee programme and banned Syrians indefinitely.

Mr Appleby, who works for Migration and Refugee Services Office of Migration and Refugee Policy, attempted to condemn the President's controversial policy.

However, when he was left at a loss for words after the Fox News host persistently asked him for specific benefits of the refugee resettlement programme.

At one point during the interview, Mr Appleby even mentioned that the US had made Syria safer because of its efforts in accepting refugees.

FOX

The conservative news anchor went head-to-head over the refugee ban

As part of his stream of executive orders, President Trump banned the entry of Syrian refugees into the US yesterday until further notice.

The wide-ranging measures also banned all refugee admissions for four months.

He halted visas being issued to nationals of six Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, for three months.

Mr Trump said the measures were intended to "keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the US".

In response to this, Mr Applebly told the Fox News host Mr Carlson that Mr Trump was making a mistake.

He argued that accepting refugees had made America safer, rather than more vulnerable to terrorism.

He said: "This is both a soft power move and a humanitarian gesture.

"Refugees are not threats. It takes them 2-3 years to get into this country

"We have to show global leadership. Otherwise, the world is chaos."

GETTY

President Trump banned the entry of Syrian refugees into the US until further notice

Mr Carlson persistently asked the migrant advocate to give him just one benefits of the refugee programme.

He asked: "What's in it for Americans citizens? Name me one benefit the US has derived from the refugee resettlement.

"Your claim is that it is an ISIS recruiting tool, that unless we let in people from Syria, ISIS is going to hate us?

"But don't they already hate us?"

The conservative television anchor pointed to the Boston bombings as well as attacks reported in Minnesota as evidence of the threat refugees pose to Americans.

Mr Carlson argued: "They were refugees brought here at public expense.

"You say it's a Christian duty to accept them, but what is Christian if you are forcing others to pay for resettlements?

"They are forcing me and other Americans to pay. How is that virtuous?"

GETTY

Rights groups have condemned the move

FOX

Mr Carlson persistently pressed his guest on the benefit of refugees

Last year, Mr Obama's administration admitted 10,000 Syrian refugees into the US.

During the election campaign, Mr Trump suggested a "total shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on".

Many left-leaning politicians condemned yesterday's move, noting that the order had been signed on Holocaust Memorial Day

Democrat Senator Kamala Harris said: "During the Holocaust, we failed to let refugees like Anne Frank into our country. We can't let history repeat itself."

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was "profoundly saddened" and the president had sent "a shamefully different message" than the country's founding beliefs.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg also posted a lengthy note, saying he was "concerned" about the president's executive orders.

Related articles Madeleine Albright is 'READY' to register as Muslim, in 'solidarity' Migrant gang 'burn down women's centre' just WEEKS after it opened Trump orders BAN on refugees coming from Muslim countries

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BBC Monitoring Africa - Political
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring

March 30, 2017 Thursday

Uganda appeals for aid to support South Sudan refugees

LENGTH: 958 words

Text of report in English by Cecilia Okoth headlined "Uganda, UNHCR appeal over refugees surge" published by state-owned, mass-circulation Ugandan daily The New Vision website on 29 March

The government and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have appealed to the international community for urgent and massive support for thousands of South Sudan refugees who continue to pour in the country, fleeing brutal conflict back at home, coupled with lack of food.

The joint appeal was made by the prime minister of Uganda, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, noting that the influx of refugees is placing a huge strain on resources, presenting a big challenge.

"Uganda has continued to maintain open borders but this unprecedented mass influx is placing enormous strain on our public services and local infrastructure. We continue to welcome our neighbours in their time of need but we urgently need the international community to assist as the situation is becoming increasingly critical," Rugunda said.

"We are at breaking point. Uganda cannot handle Africa's largest refugee crisis alone," Grandi said, adding: "The lack of international attention to the suffering of the South Sudanese people is failing some of the most vulnerable people in the world when they most desperately need our help."

Uganda currently hosts more than 800,000 South Sudanese refugees, 572,000 new arrivals who have continued to stream into the country in desperate need of safety and help since 8 July 2016.

There are projections that the population of South Sudan refugees in Uganda is likely to rise above one million by mid this year, given that more than 172,000 of them have fled into Uganda since the beginning of the year. In March alone, there have more than 2,800 new arrivals.

However, chronic and severe under-funding has reached a point where critical life-saving help risks becoming dangerously compromised with transit and reception facilities rapidly becoming overwhelmed.

Major challenges are being faced in providing refugees with adequate food rations, health and educational services, and sufficient clean water; a dire situation further compounded by heavy rains.

Currently, UNHCR urgently needs more than a quarter of a billion dollars to support South Sudanese refugees in Uganda.

Children's situation

Another statement on the current state of children in the refugee camps, released by Save the Children shows that many of the children are malnourished and have malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory infections.

"Our biggest concern right now is that the under-funding of the response means that children, who comprise more than half of the total population (469,800), do not have access to adequate protection from abuse, health, nutrition, and education services in the settlements," said Save the Children Uganda country director Brechtje van Lith.

Similarly, out of 36,900 children of primary school-going age in Bidibidi settlement, Yumbe district, which hosts the largest number of South Sudanese refugees, only 52% (19,188) have access to education.

Van Lith said many of the children come to Uganda on their own, having been separated from or lost their parents during flight. However Bidibidi, the largest camp hosting South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, has 4,638 unaccompanied and separated children registered.

"These children often get lured into marriage, child labour to meet survival needs, as well as face exposure to sexual and physical abuse, particularly while under the care of adults other than their parents/guardians," Van Lith added.

Speaking at the 5th Human Rights Defenders (HRD) annual forum in Kampala on Friday last week, Beatrice Abaru, an HRD working with People Living with AIDS Network, an NGO in Yumbe District said a total of 10 cases of children within the community being defiled by adult refugees had been reported to police since January this year.

"Some of the refugees refuse to move to the camps and end up defiling children in the community. Many of the culprits are those that lost their spouses in the war," she said. By press time, Abubaker Musiho the DPC Yumbe district was not available to ascertain the claim.

The forum organized by the Human Rights Centre Uganda was aimed at establishing effective strategies in addressing the current issues embedded in the working environment of HRDs in Uganda.

Uganda has been hailed for its approach to dealing with refugees considered to be among the most progressive anywhere on the African continent.

Upon receiving refugee status, refugees are provided with small areas of land in settlements integrated within the local host community, a pioneering approach that enhances social cohesion and allows both refugees and host communities to live together peacefully.

In mid and South-West Uganda, land for these settlements is provided by government. In northern Uganda, where the vast majority of South Sudanese refugees are being hosted, the land has been donated by the local host community.

As a result, Uganda was chosen as a role model for pioneering a comprehensive approach to refugee protection that complements humanitarian responses with targeted development action, benefiting both refugees and the communities hosting them. This was adopted as part of the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants at the UN General Assembly last year, and is now also being rolled out in other displacement crises - offering hope to millions of refugees worldwide.

However, with the current under-funding and the fastest-growing refugee emergency in the world, Uganda's ability to realise a model that allows refugees to thrive now risks being jeopardised.

Source: The New Vision website, Kampala, in English 0001 gmt 29 Mar 17

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standard.co.uk

June 20, 2017 Tuesday 11:42 AM GMT

World Refugee Day: How to celebrate and show support in London;
A host of events are being held to mark World Refugee Day and Refugee Week

BYLINE: BEN NORUM

SECTION: EVENTS & ATTRACTIONS; Version:2

LENGTH: 656 words

Refugee Week runs from 19-25 June while today, June 20, marks World Refugee Day.

Initiated by the UN, it is a time to commemorate the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees and show public support for them, as well as to celebrate what they bring to our communities.

Events taking place across the week and beyond in London include film screenings, touching art displays, Syrian feasts and the chance to meet the teams on the front line.

RefuTEA party

Everything you need to know about World Refugee Day

The Refugee Council is celebrating Refugee Week by holding an afternoon tea party this Sunday for friends and supporters. It will take place from 2.30-5pm at Friends Housein Euston and simply involves an afternoon coming together to meet and chat over tea and cake. Tickets are free, register here.

Eat for Syria

The end of the week will see the launch of Cook For Syria's pop-up restaurant, which is running as part of London Food Month. It is raising money for Unicef's Next Generation fund and is run by Imad Alarnab, who arrived in London in 2015 after fleeing his home city of Damascus where he was a chef. The pop-up will run for a week and cost £48.17 a head. Buy tickets here.

Bottomless dining

To mark World Refugee Day, Marylebone's Maroush Gardensrestaurant will be hosting an evening of bottomless food, wine and beer for £80 a head, with proceeds going to the Syria Relief Organisation.

Meet the charity teams

Syrian refugee launches pop-up restaurant in east London

The team at Help4Refugee Childrenis hosting the Refugee Week Family Festival at the Brixton Pound Caféthis Saturday. Go along to hear from organisations including Refugee Children's Centresand Raw Materialand learn more about the work they have done with refugees in the UK and abroad. Entrance is free, but donations welcome - and tickets should be booked in advance.

First-hand stories

For an incredible first-hand insight into life as a refugee, visit Friends Housetonight to hear a discussion from contributors to the new-writing anthologies Refugee Stories, A Country of Refuge, and Over Land Over Sea discuss their experiences of seeking sanctuary in Britain. It runs from 6.30-8.30pm and is free, but booking is recommended.

Catch a film

The Bike Project: free rides given to London refugees

Released in cinemas today, Home tells the story of a comfortable English family experience a life changing journey - reversing the route that many refugees have taken to come to Europe. Starring Jack O'Connell and Holliday Grainger, the film shows the realities and trauma of being refugees as within the family, roles of leadership and bravery are passed from one parent to another.

Stories through art

Three exhibitions across the capital will be telling the stories of life - and death - as a refugee.

A Perilous Journey: Stories of Migration

The stories of two men and two women fleeing conflict and persecution are told in literary comic form in this exhibition in Bloomsbury. They are created by award-winning non-profit PositiveNegatives, who use visual storytelling to engage people of all ages in humanitarian issues.

June 21-24, Brunei Gallery; soas.ac.uk/gallery

In Transit: Life in the Refugee Camps of Northern France

Calais Jungle's Good Chance theatre is coming to the Southbank

This photographic installation captures life in the Calais Jungle and the Dunkirk refugee camps before they were shut down. The pictures are by Jacky Chapman and Janine Wiedel, with over 200 images showing the daily experiences of those living increasingly precarious lives.

June 24 - July 6, Gallery 101; in-transit-photos.com

Misplaced

The life of young Alan Kurdi, found drowned on a beach in 2015, will be commemorated in this art exhibition, which will also feature live music and a film. The Stoke Newington arts centre will be collecting donations in their cafe throughout the event.

Until July 20, Most Art Centre; alan-kurdi.com

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The Guardian

February 2, 2017 Thursday 6:35 AM GMT

Q&A: what is the Australian refugee deal and why has it angered Trump?;
The background to the resettlement agreement that has sparked an outburst from the American president and now strains US-Australian relations

BYLINE: Christopher Knaus and Ben Doherty in Sydney

SECTION: AUSTRALIA NEWS

LENGTH: 935 words

A single tweet from Donald Trump threatened to implode the Australia-US refugee resettlement deal on Thursday, forcing Australia's prime minister Malcolm Turnbull into an exceedingly difficult and embarrassing position.

So how did we get here? Who are those caught up in the resettlement deal, and why was it so critical for the government to find somewhere for them to go? Here's some background to today's events.

Who are those caught up in the deal?

Related: Australia struggling to save refugee agreement after Trump's fury at 'dumb deal'

The deal relates to 1,250 refugees held on Australia's offshore detention camps on Nauru and Manus Island, including many from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran and Iraq. The refugees, some of whom are stateless, have spent years languishing in the offshore detention camps, which the United Nations has repeatedly criticised as cruel and illegal. The refugees are unable to go home, but cannot come to Australia, even where confirmed to be genuine refugees, because they travelled to Australia by boat. The vast majority of those in Australia's offshore detention regime have been confirmed to have a valid claim to refugee status, meaning they are legally owed Australia's protection. On Nauru, 983 of the 1,200 refugee status determinations were positive, while 217 were negative. On Manus Island, 78% of 859 the people finally assessed were found to be refugees, while 190 have been found not to have a claim for protection. The deal was also to include hundreds of refugees who were in Australia receiving medical care, provided they had been found to be refugees.

What was the deal? And why was it so crucial for the Australian government?

In November, the US agreed to take an undisclosed number of refugees from Australia's offshore detention regime. The resettlement option was only to be available for detainees who have been found to be refugees (under the refugees convention). Others who were negatively assessed on their protection claim would not be deemed eligible. Applicants were to be interviewed twice by US officials before being resettled, in a process that was to take between six and 12 months. If a refugee missed out on US resettlement, the existing options of Papua New Guinea and Cambodia were still available.

The deal was seen as a significant win for the Turnbull government. Australia has searched in vain for a sustainable plan for refugees. For more than three years Australia has consistently maintained it will never settle asylum-seekers on the Australian mainland that arrive by boat, a position which is popular with voters and supported by both main parties. But the policy has led to regular reports of human rights abuses, many of them documented in the Guardian's publication of the Nauru files, and is bitterly condemned by refugees advocates inside and outside Australia.

At the time of the US agreement, only 24 refugees had resettled in PNG, and a handful in Cambodia. The Manus detention centre had been declared illegal by the PNG supreme court, and Australia was under pressure over allegations on Nauru of sexual abuse on women and children, assaults of children, rape, widespread mental harm and epidemic rates of self-harm and suicide attempts.

Why is it now under threat?

There was considerable consternation that the election of Trump, who campaigned with strong anti-immigrant rhetoric, may undermine the deal. That was heightened when Trump on Saturday signed an executive order placing a four-month suspension on entry of refugees into the US, and temporarily barring travellers from seven Muslim-dominated countries.

Related: The Nauru files: cache of 2,000 leaked reports reveal scale of abuse of children in Australian offshore detention

On Sunday, a phone call between Turnbull and Trump took place. Turnbull maintains that, during the call, Trump committed to honouring the refugee resettlement deal. That was later confirmed by the US state department and US embassy in Canberra. But a report in The Washington Post cast the Trump-Turnbull conversation in an entirely different light. It was reported that Trump had described the deal as "the worst deal ever" and complained that Australia was trying to send the US the "next Boston bombers". Trump poured petrol on the fire by later tweeting: "Do you believe it? The Obama administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!"

Where to from here?

The unpredictability of Trump makes the way forward difficult to gauge. Turnbull has said that, despite Trump's comments, the refugee resettlement deal is still on. But the intensity of Trump's rhetoric, and the deal's obvious with the policies of his administration, including the travel ban, make it an increasingly unlikely prospect.

The fate of 1,250 refugees is now hanging in the balance. If the US deal falls over, there are two options: find another third-country resettlement option, or bring them to Australia. The Turnbull government would not contemplate the latter, and the former will take many, many months, likely years. Alternatively, it has been suggested that Trump could still honour the deal but simply accept none of the refugees who apply. Trump's twitter outburst makes implementing the deal much less likely.

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MailOnline

February 10, 2017 Friday 1:36 PM GMT

State Department has nearly doubled the intake of refugees from the seven travel ban countries since judge put a halt to the order

BYLINE: ASHLEY COLLMAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

SECTION: NEWS

LENGTH: 884 words

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Since a judge put a half to the travel ban last week, State Department has let 882 refugees from the listed countries into the U.S.
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That's nearly double the rate of entry that was happening two weeks before Trump signed the executive order
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Analysts say the sudden increase is a coordinated effort by the State Dept. to let in as many people from these countries before the order may be reinstated
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Trump wants to stop immigration from the seven countries in an effort to prevent domestic terror attacks
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This week, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that some of the refugees fleeing his Civil War-torn country are 'definitely terrorists'

Since Trump 's travel ban was halted last week, the intake of refugees from the seven targeted countries has more than doubled.

Analysts said that the move is a coordinated effort by the State Department to let in as many refugees from these countries as possible, in case the ban is reinstated by the Supreme Court.

The travel ban halted all citizens from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya and Yemen from entering the U.S. for at least 90 days - regardless of their immigration or residency status in the U.S.

The order also put America's refugee program on an immediate 120-day halt, and stopped all refugees from Syria from entering the U.S. refugee program indefinitely.

The executive order caused chaos as soon as it was signed on January 27, with customs officials unsure what to do about people from the seven countries arriving at U.S. airports - unaware of the order. Critics quickly filed challenges to the ban in court and on February 3, Judge James Robart halted the order on the basis that it was likely violating the law.

Since then, people from the seven countries are being allowed to enter the country and many are rushing to return to the U.S. in case the doors close again. The State Department appears to be ramping up their efforts to let refugees from the seven countries into the U.S. as well.

In the week since the ban has been halted, 1,186 refugees have been let into the country - 882 of them from the seven travel ban countries.

That's nearly double what the State Department was letting in in the week before Trump signed the order.

The intake of Syrian and Iraqi refugees has changed the most dramatically since the order was halted.

Between Trump's inauguration on January 20 and when he signed the ban on January 27, Syrians made up just 14 per cent of the total refugees being let into the country. Since February 3, Syrians now make up 30 per cent of all refugees entering the country. Iraq went from 10 per cent of all refugees before the ban to 21 per cent after.

Jessica Vaughan, policy studies director at the right-wing think tank Center for Immigration Studies, told the Washington Times the new numbers show that the State Department is prioritizing refugee resettlement over the security of American citizens.

Country Jan. 20 - Jan 27*Percentage of total refugees Feb. 3 - Feb. 10** Percentage of total refugees Iran155 7%109 9% Iraq 218 10% 252 21% Libya 0 0% 0 0% Somalia 228 11% 130 11% Sudan 37 37% 32 3% Syria 296 14% 359 30% Yemen 1 .04% 0 0% Total: 935 44% 882 74% * January 20 was the day Trump was inaugurated; The 27th was the day he signed the travel ban order

** February 3 is the day that the travel ban was halted, thus opening the doors to immigration from the target countries

Source: The Refugee Processing Center

'There's no doubt in my mind they would be doing whatever they could to get people in before something changes because, from their perspective, their motivation is to resettle these folks. It would not be the first time that State Department officials have prioritized facilitating someone's entry to the United States over security concerns,' Vaughan said.

But those who work in refugee resettlement say the increase could be a coincidence, since the highest priority refugees - such as ones with urgent medical issues - are likely to be from the seven banned nations anyway.

'What I would hope for is we find a way to communicate with this administration and find a way to sit down and understand why are these, what I'll call alternative facts, about the danger of refugees being presented, because it's just not correct,' Erol Kekic, executive director of the Church World Service's refugee program, told the Washington Times.

Trump's reason for halting immigration from the seven countries is that he doesn't believe that citizens from these nations are being screened enough before they enter the U.S. He says stopping immigration until the system can be revamped will prevent domestic terrorist attacks.

Many in the refugee resettlement community argue that the process is already strict enough, and that terrorists aren't disguising themselves as refugees to get into the U.S., but Trump got an unlikely supporter in his beliefs from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad this week.

The Syrian President said that some of the refugees that are fleeing his country are 'definitely terrorists'.

In addition to the growth of ISIS - which has taken over a large swath of Syria - the country has been embroiled in a Civil War between Assad's supporters and rebels since 2011.

Assad's forces - backed by Russia - have been accused by the UN of committing war crimes on their own people in the struggle.

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FinancialWire

February 21, 2017 Tuesday

Severe Food Shortages Hit Africa's Refugees Hard - UNHCR and WFP Warn

LENGTH: 570 words

GENEVA, Switzerland -- The Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Ertharin Cousin and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, are very concerned that critical shortages in food assistance are affecting some 2 million refugees in 10 countries across Africa.

The shortages could worsen in coming months without new resources to meet food needs.

The number of refugees in Africa nearly doubled from 2.6 million in 2011 to nearly 5 million in 2016. While donor funding for refugee assistance increased during this period, it did not keep pace with rapidly rising needs. As a result, the humanitarian response is significantly underfunded. This has forced cuts in food assistance for some groups of refugees.

The two agency heads warn that food shortages will have dire consequences on the health and protection of such vulnerable people, unless more support is urgently made available.

"We can't imagine how difficult life is for thousands of refugee families with no food, and often denied the possibility to work or provide for themselves in other ways. Refugees are extraordinarily resilient, but cuts in food assistance - sometimes as high as 50 percent - are having a devastating impact on the health and nutrition of thousands of families," said UNHCR's Grandi. "The right to food is a basic human right. We are working with WFP to ensure that no refugee goes to sleep hungry, but support has to come quickly."

"Millions of refugees depend on WFP food and our work to treat and prevent malnutrition to stay alive. But in Africa they are in danger of being overshadowed by large humanitarian crises elsewhere," said Cousin. "Donors have been very generous facing unprecedented global needs. But no refugee deserves to be abandoned and left behind."

UNHCR and WFP recognize the very concerning food security and nutrition situation in the Horn of Africa and the unprecedented needs for assistance. Individuals are fleeing Somalia and South Sudan and arriving as refugees in critical condition. Over 75 percent of the Somali refugee children who have arrived in Dollo Ado in Ethiopia since January were acutely malnourished.

Ten refugee operations in Africa have experienced cuts affecting the quantity and quality of food assistance for approximately 2 million refugees. Food rations have been dramatically cut - in some cases by up to 50 percent - in large operations including Cameroon, Chad, Kenya, Mauritania, South Sudan and Uganda.

Refugees in Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Burundi and Ethiopia have had specific commodities cut including micronutrient fortified blended foods, needed to ensure an adequate quality diet.

UNHCR and WFP are concerned that sustained cuts to food assistance will have severe nutrition and protection-related consequences as refugees try to cope by skipping meals, pulling their children out of schools to stay at home or work and selling family assets.

The nutritional situation of these refugees before the cuts to food assistance was already worrying and is now worsening. Nutrition surveys in 2016 documented high levels of acute malnutrition, anaemia and stunting. In many refugee sites in Ethiopia, Chad, Sudan and Djibouti acute malnutrition is 'critical' and anaemia is greater than 40 percent, indicating a public health crisis.

Distributed by APO on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

(Distributed by M2 Communications (www.m2.com))

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FinancialWire

June 20, 2017 Tuesday

World Refugee Day: Constrained resources for nearly a million refugees in Uganda

LENGTH: 778 words

GENEVA, Switzerland -- The international response in Uganda is failing refugees and must prioritise life-saving supplies such as food and water to prevent a medical emergency, the international medical humanitarian organisation Doctors without Borders (MSF) said today ahead of a major refugee summit.

Governments and international organisations are meeting in Kampala on 22 and 23 June to raise funds for Uganda's refugee response. The country currently hosts 950,562 refugees and receives about 2,000 new arrivals every day, the vast majority of them fleeing violence in South Sudan. Uganda is a pilot country for the UNHCR-led Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), which aims to improve the situation of refugees and host communities through increasing self-reliance and enhancing cooperation between the UNHCR, governments, NGOs, and other actors.

Inadequate resources, coupled with poor water and sanitation conditions and a shortage of food rations, could quickly turn the situation into a medical emergency. In Palorinya, 80 percent of the population is 100 percent dependent on water treated by MSF, which is unsustainable. "Currently the most basic needs of refugees are not being met," says Tara Newell, MSF's operations manager for Uganda. Even though we are pumping and treating record amounts of water in Palorinya, it's always only just barely enough for the population." The majority of refugees who live in settlements without water plants and who rely on a handful of boreholes and water trucks get seven litres per person per day. Access to water in the settlements is dependent on water trucking, a hugely expensive system often derailed by poor road conditions. "Without a longer term and more cost-effective solution, people's ability to cope, as well as their health, will deteriorate," says Newell.

Following 50 percent cuts to the monthly food rations distributed by the World Food Programme, the number of people critically short of food in the settlements is also a major concern. MSF is seeing refugees registering in multiple settlements because they are desperate for food rations and water, and there are reports of inconsistent or incomplete core relief items distributions in the settlements. Refugees have cited food insecurity as a major concern and have even prompted some to return to South Sudan. "I'd rather get shot in South Sudan than starve in Uganda," one refugee told MSF staff. Teams have also heard stories of refugees who returned to South Sudan because of a lack of food in Uganda, only to be killed. "Refugees are being put in an unimaginable position - to go without food and water, or risk their lives in a conflict just so they can eat," says Dr. Leon Salumu, MSF program manager.

Keeping pace with the growing refugee population is proving impossible and the Ugandan Government is increasingly stretched. Some refugees have been moved to sites far away from water sources or cultivatable land, such as the Ofua zone in the western part of Rhino settlement. Better site planning, which maximizes access to services such as water, sanitation and healthcare, is needed to ensure the basic needs of refugees are met.

Health interventions have also been complicated by the time-consuming nature of regular importation procedures for medical supplies. For example, for two months this year, MSF was unable to offer safe deliveries, or treat eye and skin diseases, two common morbidities in the settlements, because of the lengthy bureaucratic requirements for importing medical supplies. MSF requests the Government of Uganda expedite pending importation requests and to fast-track medical importations for emergency health kits and medical supplies to facilitate a scale-up of the emergency medical response.

Uganda is now the largest host of refugees in Africa, taking in more than triple the amount of people who arrived in Europe by sea in 2016. Many countries have shamefully introduced restrictive migration policies and sought to limit the arrival of refugees at their borders, promising instead to support refugees closer to their country of origin. Yet they have not delivered on this promise - the Uganda refugee response is only 17 percent funded. "The international community has failed to help resolve the conflict in South Sudan and is now failing to adequately help South Sudanese refugees in the region," says Salumu. "The international community needs to step up to its obligations and rethink the ways services are delivered to refugees spread out across such vast geographical distances."

Distributed by APO on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).

(Distributed by M2 Communications (www.m2.com))

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The Guardian

January 28, 2017 Saturday 2:17 AM GMT

Australia's refugee deal in jeopardy after Trump's 'extreme vetting' order;
Human rights officials say Malcolm Turnbull must immediately outline a plan for those imprisoned on Manus Island and Nauru

BYLINE: Ben Doherty

SECTION: AUSTRALIA NEWS

LENGTH: 939 words

The executive order of the US president, Donald Trump, slashing the country's refugee intake, appears set to kill off Australia's nascent deal to resettle refugees there from its offshore detention camps.

Trump signed the executive order to drastically limit the US's intake of migrants from Muslim-majority countries on Saturday morning Australia-time.

The order suspends the granting of visas to people from Iraq, Syria or any other "country of concern" for 90 days. Other countries of concern are expected to be nominated as Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Syrians have been banned from entering the US as refugees indefinitely. All refugee intake into the US has been stopped for 120 days.

The order also caps the total number of refugees entering the US in 2017 to 50,000 - less than half the 2016 figure of 117,000.

The executive order will have global consequences. For decades, the US has been, by far, the largest "third-country" resettler of refugees in the world.

In November, the Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and the then US president Barack Obama brokered a deal for the US to resettle some of the refugees held on the Australian-run offshore detention centres of Manus Island in PNG, and Nauru.

About 2000 asylum seekers and refugees are held on the islands, and most have been there for more than three years. The camps have been blighted by deaths, systemic violence, sexual abuse - including of children, maltreatment, poor healthcare, and self-harm and suicide attempts.

Iranian refugees make up the largest group on Manus and Nauru. There are also significant Iraqi, Sudanese and Somali cohorts likely to be affected by the US order.

In the face of speculation over Trump's promised executive order, the Australian government has insisted that the US resettlement deal would progress, regardless of its content, but there is growing concern, given the breadth and strength of the Trump decree, that the Australian deal will be scotched too.

Related: Barnaby Joyce says 'not the end of the world' if Australia-US refugee deal falls through

The 120-day suspension of all refugee resettlement to the US means the resettlement deal cannot progress for at least four months.

Officials from the US were on Manus as recently as last week, outlining the details of the proposed resettlement deal. The Resettlement Support Centre East Asia, an arm of the International Rescue Committee, has been contracted to oversee the resettlement.

The process was expected to involve several interviews, and take between six and 12 months.

On Manus Island, the Iranian refugee and journalist Behrouz Boochani said that refugees, already sceptical about the genuineness of the US deal, believed it was all but dead.

"It is hard to believe that Manus and Nauru refugees will be resettled in the US. Do not forget his promises and his slogans were against migrants and refugees.

"I don't trust the government and I think they know that Trump won't accept us. It is only a political game for wasting time."

Imran Fazal Hoque, a Rohingyan refugee on Manus, told the Guardian from the detention centre he was shocked that Trump's order stated that Christian refugees would be given priority among people seeking protection.

"No human should be judged based on their religion or the colour of their skin.

"It is becoming ever more impossible to believe that the deal to resettle the refugees from Manus Island to the US will ever go ahead."

A Sudanese refugee on Manus, Abdul Aziz Muhamat, said the men held on Manus did not know whom to believe on the future of the Australia-US deal.

"It's very strange, we have really lost hope, we are devastated."

Writing in the Guardian, the director of legal advocacy for the Human Rights Law Centre, Daniel Webb, said the executive order "clearly impacts many, if not most, of the men, women and children currently stuck on Nauru and Manus".

"While there may possibly still be a painfully long and narrow road to the US for some, it's now crystal clear that the US deal won't ensure safety for all.

Related: US officials visit Manus Island as Australia's refugee deal set to proceed

"When prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the US deal, he was quite rightly acknowledging that he couldn't just leave people languishing in limbo on Nauru and Manus forever. Having finally conceded that Nauru and Manus are dead ends, it is our government's responsibility to urgently find a humane way forward."

Matthew Phillips, the human rights campaign director with GetUp!, said that taken at face value, the executive order ended all hope of a timely resettlement program with the US.

"In brokering the agreement, the Turnbull government acknowledged that the policy of offshore detention is untenable and that it could no longer detain men, women and children indefinitely and without trial in abusive conditions. Now the onus is on Malcolm Turnbull to immediately outline a plan to provide safety for all those unlawfully imprisoned on Manus Island and Nauru, starting with the urgent evacuation of the camps."

Phillips said the policy of offshore detention was in "utter disarray".

"The PNG supreme court has ruled the Manus detention centre illegal and the government has no company willing to run the camps after October this year. Now that the resettlement arrangement seems unlikely to work out, Malcolm Turnbull must outline a plan to provide safety for all."

The Guardian has sought comment from the office of the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, as well as the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

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The Guardian

January 28, 2017 Saturday 2:17 AM GMT

Australia's refugee deal in jeopardy after Trump's 'extreme vetting' order;
Human rights officials say Malcolm Turnbull must immediately outline a plan for those imprisoned on Manus Island and Nauru

BYLINE: Ben Doherty

SECTION: AUSTRALIA NEWS

LENGTH: 998 words